This is a composite HST image taken in visible light showing the temporal evolution of the brightest region of comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9. In this false-color representation, different shades of red color are used to display different intensities of light.
[top panel] - This shows data taken on 1 July 1993, prior to the HST servicing mission. The separation of the two brightest fragments is only 0.3", so ground-based telescopes could not resolve this pair. The other two fragments just to the right of the closely-spaced pair are only barely detectable due to HST's spherical aberration.
[middle panel] - This shows the first HST observation after the successful servicing mission and was taken on 24 January 1994. The two brightest fragments are now about 1" apart, and the two fainter fragments are much more clearly seen. The light near the faintest fragment is not as concentrated as the light from the others and is elongated in the direction of the comet's tail.
[bottom panel] - The latest HST observation, taken on 30 March 1994, shows that the faintest fragment has become a barely discernible "puff." Also, the second faintest fragment has clearly split into two distinct fragments by March. Continued splitting events, such as those depicted here, will decrease the explosive power of any single impact into Jupiter's atmosphere as the comet makes its fiery plunge into this giant planet during the period 16-22 July 1994. Fortunately, most of the fragments of P/S-L 9 have apparently been stable for at least a year and have NOT shown any evidence for further break-up.
Credits
Dr. Hal Weaver and T. Ed Smith (STScI), and NASA| About The Object | |
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| Object Name | Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 |
| About The Object | |
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| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
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| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
