A String Of Pearls . ... Credit Copyright: H. Weaver ( JHU ), T. Smith ( STScI ), NASA Explanation: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 , named after its co-discoverers , was often referred to as the "string of pearls" comet. It is famous for its suggestive appearance as well as its collision with the planet Jupiter! The comet's original single nucleus was torn to pieces by Jupiter's strong gravity during a close encounter with the solar system's largest planet in 1992. ... NASA Official: Jay Norris. ...