Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


Hubble View: Jupiter Impact
<< Yesterday 31.07.2009 Tomorrow >>
Hubble View: Jupiter Impact
Credit & Copyright: NASA, ESA, H. Hammel (Space Science Institute, Boulder, Co.), and the Jupiter Impact Team
Explanation: This sprawling dark marking is Jupiter's latest impact scar, a debris plume created as a small asteroid or comet disintegrated after plunging into the gas giant's atmosphere. Located in Jupiter's south polar region, the new feature was discovered by Australian amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley on July 19. On July 23rd Wesley's discovery was followed up by the Hubble Space Telescope with its newly installed Wide Field Camera 3, creating this sharpest view of the evolving debris plume. Estimates indicate that the impacting object itself was several hundred meters across. Similar impact markings were created when pieces of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 slammed into Jupiter's cloud bands in July of 1994.


January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < July 2009  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su


12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: Jupiter - impact - comet - asteroid
Publications with words: Jupiter - impact - comet - asteroid
See also:
All publications on this topic >>