How did Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact Jupiter?

Shoemaker-Levy 9 left dark, ringed scars that were eventually erased by Jupiter’s winds. While the impact was dramatic, it was more than a show. It gave scientists an opportunity to gain new insights into Jupiter, Shoemaker-Levy 9, and cosmic collisions in general.

What is the significance of the Shoemaker-Levy comet?

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 showed us that large impacts still happen in the Solar System, and were a factor in NASA developing programs to address the impact risk to Earth.

What happened to Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 What orbit did it follow before its crashing death in 1994?

The comet is designated, “P,” for “periodic,” because even before its capture in a death grip by Jupiter, its original orbit around the Sun was closed and contained within our solar system. Its fragments vary in size, with about six relatively large pieces, a dozen medium-sized ones, and assorted smaller debris.

What was the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact quizlet?

Why was the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact so important to astronomers? It dredged up material that gave us our first direct look at Jupiter’s interior composition. What characteristic distinguishes a meteorite from a terrestrial rock? Why does the plasma tail of a comet always point away from the Sun?

What smashed into Jupiter?

Back in 1994, large chunks of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter over a period of several days, creating bright flashes followed by dark scars on the planet’s clouds.

When did Jupiter explode?

The string of fragments had been caught in a two-year orbit around Jupiter before crashing into its cloud tops. The fragments smashed into Jupiter with the force of 300 million atomic bombs, according to NASA. The impacts started on July 16, 1994, and ended on July 22, 1994.

How big was the meteor that hit Jupiter?

Based on the images and video provided observers, the object’s diameter is estimated at 20 meters (ft). Similar to what happened with SL-9, this object is believed to be the remnant of a larger comet or asteroid that was captured by Jupiter’s gravity that broke up shortly before the impact took place.

How was Shoemaker-Levy 9?

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was the ninth short-periodic comet discovered by Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker and David Levy. It was first detected on a photograph taken on the night of March 24, 1993 with the 0.4-meter Schmidt telescope on Palomar Mountain in California.

When was Shoemaker-Levy 9 last?

July 22, 1994
A natural color NASA Hubble Space Telescope view of the full disk of the giant planet Jupiter shows numerous comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact sites as seen on July 22, 1994.

When a comet enters the inner solar system what part of the comet always points most directly away from the sun?

Comet tails come in two types. … Comet tails will always point away from the sun because of the radiation pressure of sunlight.

Did a comet hit Jupiter?

Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 (formally designated D/1993 F2) broke apart in July 1992 and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects….Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9.