New NASA Images Indicate Object Hits Jupiter
NASA
July 20, 2009Scientists have found evidence that another object has bombarded Jupiter, exactly 15 years after the first impacts by the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Following up on a tip by an amateur astronomer, Anthony Wesley of Australia, that a new dark “scar” had suddenly appeared on Jupiter, this morning between 3 and 9 a.m. PDT (6 a.m. and noon EDT) scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., using NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, gathered evidence indicating an impact.
New infrared images show the likely impact point was near the south polar region, with a visibly dark “scar” and bright upwelling particles in the upper atmosphere detected in near-infrared wavelengths, and a warming of the upper troposphere with possible extra emission from ammonia gas detected at mid-infrared wavelengths.
I first saw this at an astronomy forum. An amateur astronomer first reported it. I am an amateur astronomer myself..
An asteroid or comet crashed into Jupiter, almost 15 years to this day when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter. Hmmm, coincidence or not. It must be a common event for asteroids and comets to crash into Jupiter, which serves as a vacuum cleaner and protects Earth from doomsday events. Something like this happens every 100 years, but in this case 15 years. Interesting.
