Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (named after its discoverers Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker and David Levy) collided with Jupiter in the first ever observed collision between two objects in our solar system. Earth-based telescopes around the world, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope, obtained spectacular imagery of impact zones and plumes (or fireballs). The impacts occurred on the side of Jupiter facing away from Earth and then rotated into view a few hours later. The Galileo spacecraft had a more direct view of the impacts as they occurred. The first impact (fragment A) occurred shortly before 5:32 EDT on July 16, 1994 and the last impact (fragment W) occurred July 22, 1994 at 2:59:45 EDT.

This image of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in May, 1994, two months before the comet's 21 fragment chain collided with Jupiter. [larger image]
Photo credit: Space Telescope Science Institute.

WEB Sites Providing Imagery of the Impact Events:

• HubbleSite
• Project Galileo Home Page
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory Shoemaker-Levy 9 Page (NASA)
• National Space Science Data Center (NASA)
• European Southern Observatory
• University of Oregon

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