Hubble sees comet fireball on limb of Jupiter

Sequence of images showing evidence for a plume near the terminator of Jupiter at the time of the A impact. A bright feature appears 1000-1500 km above the limb of Jupiter at 20:18:17 in the 953 nm filter. (An image at 20:15:17 did not show a detached feature). A possible interpretation is that the feature is visible by reflected sunlight, and the apparent detachment is due to the shadow of Jupiter on the plume. During the temporal sequence from top to bottom, spreading of the feature is clearly resolved. The feature is visible at wavelengths ranging from the ultraviolet through the near infrared.

Credit:

HST Jupiter Imaging Science Team

About the Image

NASA press release
Id:opo9430a
Type:Collage
Release date:17 July 1994, 06:00
Size:789 x 903 px

About the Object

Name:Jupiter, Shoemaker-Levy 9
Type:Solar System : Planet : Type : Gas Giant
Solar System : Planet : Feature : Surface : Impact
Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet
Category:Solar System

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
79.1 KB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
135.3 KB

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Ultraviolet Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2
Optical Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2

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