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Credit & Copyright: NASA, Hubble Space Telescope
Explanation:
In July of 1994, pieces of
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9,
also known as the
"string of pearls" comet,
collided with the planet Jupiter. As the comet fragments smashed in to
Jupiter, the resulting explosions scattered large quantities of dusty
cometary debris into the Jovian atmosphere. The clouds of debris created
the multiple dark smudges visible in this picture. Jupiter's rotation
causes the successive impact sites to be strung out along the cloud
bands while the strong winds cause the appearance of the smudges to
change with time. Jupiter's famous
red spot
is also visible to the left of center.
For more information about the picture see comments by the Hubble Space Telescope Comet Team.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: comet - Jupiter
Publications with words: comet - Jupiter
See also:
- APOD: 2025 January 26 Á The Many Tails of Comet G3 ATLAS
- Comet G3 ATLAS: a Tail and a Telescope
- APOD: 2025 January 21 Á Comet ATLAS over Brasilia
- APOD: 2025 January 20 Á Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun
- APOD: 2025 January 13 Á Comet ATLAS Before Sunrise
- APOD: 2024 December 16 Á A Kilometer High Cliff on Comet Churyumov Gerasimenko
- Stereo Jupiter near Opposition