* Astronomy

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RE: Jupiter black spot

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A team of astronomers using the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawai'i obtained a new infrared image of Jupiter on Wednesday night, July 22, showing its new scar still glowing in mid-infrared wavelengths.
The image complements earlier infrared images, including two taken July 20, shortly after the bruise was noticed, with the Keck II telescope and NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility - both a stone's throw from the Gemini telescope on Mauna Kea.
Jupiter's new glowing bruise, some 8,000 kilometres across, is the result of the planet getting unexpectedly whacked less than a week ago by a small solar system object, perhaps a small comet or asteroid.

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2009 Jupiter impact event

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RE: Jupiter black spot

Blobrana · L

Astronomers were scrambling to get big telescopes turned to Jupiter on Tuesday to observe the remains of what looks like the biggest smashup in the solar system since fragments of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into the planet in July 1994.

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'The asteroid would have vaporised instantly'

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Something slammed into Jupiter in the last few days, creating a dark bruise about the size of the Pacific Ocean.
The bruise was noticed by an amateur astronomer on Sunday, July 19. University of California, Berkeley, astronomer Paul Kalas took advantage of previously scheduled observing time on the Keck II telescope in Hawaii to image the blemish in the early morning hours of Monday, July 20. The near infrared image showed a bright spot in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, where the impact had propelled reflective particles high into the relatively clear stratosphere.

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This image was captured by NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility on Hawaii on Monday. The image shows a bright spot on Jupiter's south polar region.

Image Credit NASA

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Scientists have found evidence that another object has bombarded Jupiter, exactly 15 years after the first impacts by the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Following up on a tip by an amateur astronomer, Anthony Wesley of Australia, that a new dark "scar" had suddenly appeared on Jupiter, this morning between 3 and 9 a.m. PDT (6 a.m. and noon EDT) scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., using NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, gathered evidence indicating an impact.

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Blobrana · L

An asteroid or comet has slammed into Jupiter, giving the King of Planets a black eye, reports an amateur astronomer.
Australia's Anthony Wesley reported the dark spot last night, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirms the impact.

"I never expected I'd get to see something like this" - JPL's Leigh Fletcher.

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