These images of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 (1993e) fragments were made by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The cometary chunks are expected to plunge into Jupiter's atmosphere in July 1994. The comet was torn into numerous pieces by the massive planet's gravitational pull as it passed by Jupiter in summer 1992.
The fragments are due to hit Jupiter in a 5 1/2 day period centered on July 19, possibly producing spectacular results depending on the size of the pieces. The fragments are expected to impact with an energy release many times that of nuclear warheads.
The 11 largest comet fragments are estimated to be 1 1/4 to 2 1/2-miles (2-4 kilometers) in diameter. Hubble first observed the comet on July 1,1993. Recent images, taken using Hubble's newly improved optics between January 24 and 27, have given an even clearer view. The new images also indicate the comet might be continuing to fragment. Over the next few months, Hubble will monitor the comet's approach to Jupiter, which is some 500 million miles (805 million kilometers) from the Sun and is the largest of the nine planets in the solar system. (Earth is 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers, from the Sun and is the fifth largest planet.)
Upper strip: This mosaic image of the comet consists of two new Wide Field Camera images and one new Planetary Camera image. Twenty comet pieces are visible.
Lower right: This image was taken with the Planetary Camera before Hubble was serviced by astronauts on an 11-day mission in December 1993. The image is of the region of the brightest comet fragment. Four comet fragments are barely discernible in this view.
Lower left: This image was taken with the Planetary Camera after the Hubble servicing mission, and the comet fragments can be seen much more clearly. Although it is difficult to discern by a comparison of these "before" and "after" images, analysis shows that the separations and orientations of the four comet fragments have changed dramatically in the 6 month span between the two exposures.
Credits
Dr. H.A. Weaver & T.E. Smith (STScI), NASA| About The Object | |
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| Object Name | Comet P/Shoemaker- Levy9 |
| 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. |
