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Published March 3, 1995 | public
Journal Article

HST Imaging of Atmospheric Phenomena Created by the Impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9

Abstract

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images reveal major atmospheric changes created by the collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter. Plumes rose to 3000 kilometers with ejection velocities on the order of 10 kilometers second^(-1); some plumes were visible in the shadow of Jupiter before rising into sunlight. During some impacts, the incoming bolide may have been detected. Impact times were on average about 8 minutes later than predicted. Atmospheric waves were seen with a wave front speed of 454 ± 20 meters second^(-1). The HST images reveal impact site evolution and record the overall change in Jupiter's appearance as a result of the bombardment.

Additional Information

© 1995 American Association for the Advancement of Science. We gratefully acknowledge the staff and management at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScl) for their fortitude during these unusually challenging observations; we note in particular the assistance of our Comet Science Team colleagues H. Weaver, M. McGrath, and K. Noll, and the heroic efforts of A. Storrs during planning and execution of the observations. We thank J. Trauger and members of the WFPC2 Team for the marvelous instrument, and we also thank our anonymous referees for insightful comments on the manuscript. H.B.H. thanks C. Barnet and L. Gesner for support with software acquisition and development. These observations were made with the NASA-ESA Hubble Space Telescope, with support provided through grant GO- 5624.08-93A from STScI, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 23, 2023