Astronomy Picture of the Day . A String Of Pearls . ... Credit: 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. ... 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. ... Publications with keywords: comet - comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 . ... Comet Holmes Over Hungary . ...