What happened when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter?
From July 16 to 22, 1994, enormous pieces of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9), discovered just a year prior, crashed into Jupiter over several days, creating huge, dark scars in the planet’s atmosphere and lofting superheated plumes into its stratosphere.
How big was the Shoemaker-Levy comet?
0.62137 miComet Shoemaker–Levy 9 / Radius
How big were the asteroids that hit Jupiter?
Based on the images and video provided observers, the object’s diameter is estimated at 20 meters (ft). Similar to what happened with SL-9, this object is believed to be the remnant of a larger comet or asteroid that was captured by Jupiter’s gravity that broke up shortly before the impact took place.
When was Shoemaker-Levy 9 last?
Shoemaker and David Levy in 1993. Shoemaker–Levy 9 (SL9) had been captured by Jupiter and was orbiting the planet at the time. It was located on the night of March 24 in a photograph taken with the 46 cm (18 in) Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California….Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
How was Shoemaker-Levy 9?
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was the ninth short-periodic comet discovered by Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker and David Levy. It was first detected on a photograph taken on the night of March 24, 1993 with the 0.4-meter Schmidt telescope on Palomar Mountain in California.
What hit Jupiter 2021?
2021 impacts Two astronomers from France and Germany confirmed the observation, suggesting an impact event likely caused by a small asteroid or comet around 100 m (330 ft) in diameter.
What happened to Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9?
This composite is assembled from separate images of Jupiter and comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, as imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in 1994. Credit: NASA When comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was discovered in 1993, it already had been torn into more than 20 pieces traveling around Jupiter in a two-year orbit.
What was the impact of Shoemaker Levy 9?
Shoemaker-Levy 9 left dark, ringed scars that were eventually erased by Jupiter’s winds. While the impact was dramatic, it was more than a show. It gave scientists an opportunity to gain new insights into Jupiter, Shoemaker-Levy 9, and cosmic collisions in general.
How was Shoemaker-Levy 9 discovered?
Shoemaker-Levy 9 was discovered by Carolyn and Gene Shoemaker and David Levy in a photograph taken on Mar. 18, 1993 with the 0.4-meter Schmidt telescope at Mt. Palomar. Overview. his composite is assembled from separate images of Jupiter and comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, as imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in 1994.
What was the temperature of Shoemaker-Levy 9?
The fragments created huge plumes that were 1,200 to 1,900 miles (2,000 to 3,000 kilometers) high and heated the atmosphere to temperatures as hot as 53,000 to 71,000 degrees Fahrenheit (30,000 to 40,000 degrees Celsius). Shoemaker-Levy 9 left dark, ringed scars that were eventually erased by Jupiter’s winds.