Planets and Moons ID: 11263

Comet Strike

Story by Aviva H. Rutkin Released on May 16, 2013

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was on a collision course. The comet had once orbited Jupiter, circling the gas giant every two years. But during a close encounter with the planet, it was ripped apart by tidal forces. A trail of fragments, some greater than 3,000 feet across, was all that remained of the icy mass. In July 1994, the fragments raced towards Jupiter’s south pole, exploding into fireballs as they entered the cloud-filled atmosphere. Each impact set off fiery plumes that could be seen by observing spacecraft. The event, which took place over six days, was the first collision of two bodies in the solar system ever witnessed by humans. Watch the visualization to see a re-creation of this historic clash.

This time-lapse sequence shows the temporary scars (dark spots) that formed in Jupiter's atmosphere following the impact of two comet fragments.

Story Credits

Visualizers/Animators:
Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC)
Ernie Wright (USRA)
Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)

Producer:
Michael Starobin (HTSI)

Lead Scientist:
Amy A. Simon (NASA/GSFC)

Lead Writer:
Aviva H. Rutkin (USRA)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Cover image courtesy of NASA
Jupiter pre-impact image courtesy of NASA, ESA, STScI/H. Weaver and E. Smith, JPL/J. Trauger and R. Evans
Hubble image courtesy of NASA, ESA, STScI/H. Weaver and E. Smith
Jupiter time-lapse image courtesy of NASA, HST, WFPC2, SSI/H. Hammel

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11263

Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons