A celestial body recently collided with Jupiter, the undisputed king of the planets, releasing a brief but sharp flash of energy. While objects collide frequently with Jupiter—far more than any other planet in the solar system—it is very unusual for scientists to document a collision in action. Remarkably, this latest collision was accidentally captured by an amateur astronomer.
The impact was first detected by the Okinawa-based astronomical observing projects OASES and PONCOTS at 1:45 a.m. JST on Aug. 29 (4:45 p.m. UTC, Aug. 28). in Social media sharingThey raised the alarm and put a message saying: “If you are observing Jupiter around the same time, please check your imaging data again, and if you find a flash, please report it to TL or DM on this account!”
Soon after, the MASA Planetary Log responded with some images showing the dramatic collision.
“When I got up in the morning and opened X (Twitter), I saw information that a flash was detected on the surface of Jupiter. That night, when I checked the video of the corresponding timing, I saw a flash.” said the person behind the MASA Planetary Log account Space.com.
They added, “I was very fortunate to have photographed this phenomenon when it happened.”
There is currently no information on the size of the object, although it was large enough to make for a stunning sight.
Jupiter is frequently exposed to celestial bodies due to its proximity to the asteroid belt in the solar system and its massive gravitational pull that attracts transiting objects like marbles to the bottom of the basin.
a 2013 study He suggested that Jupiter is struck by objects 5 to 20 meters (16.5 ft 65 ft) in diameter about 12 to 60 times each year. Objects larger than 100 meters (328 feet) are likely to collide with Jupiter every few years. This is about 10,000 times greater than the rate of impact of similar objects on Earth.
Do not feel so sorry for Jupiter. Thanks to its gigantic mass and strong gravity, the gas giant controls a large number of asteroids in the solar system. This often protects Earth and other inner planets from rogue objects, but it could also mean that Jupiter is The occasional asteroid sling or guilty towards us.
Astronomers have captured the moments of impact on the gas giant many times. The first occurred in 1994 when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with the gas giant, making history the first-ever direct observation of a collision of two bodies in the Solar System.
Since then, there have been at least eight more observations of the impact of Jupiter, as of 2021. This includes a particularly stunning collision in September 2021.
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”