1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Large impact on Jupiter -- First images from Hubble

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009.

Page 1 of 2
  1. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,753
    An amateur astronomer spotted this a few days ago, but here are the first images from the newly repaired Hubble Telescope.
    _____

    [​IMG]

    link

    [​IMG]

    Gemini Telescope
     
    #1 KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009
  2. ItsMyFault

    ItsMyFault Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2009
    Messages:
    15,646
    Likes Received:
    978
    What is it though? An impact of what?
     
    #2 ItsMyFault, Jul 25, 2009
  3. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,753
    Hubble Captures Rare Jupiter Collision

    This Hubble picture, taken on July 23, is the sharpest visible-light picture taken of the impact feature. The observations were made with Hubble's new camera, the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).

    The combination of the Hubble data with mid-infrared images from ground-based telescopes will give astronomers an insight into changes of the vertical structure of Jupiter's atmosphere due to the impact. The expanding spot is twice the length of the United States.

    First discovered by Australian amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley, the feature is the impact site and "backsplash" of material from a small object that plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere and disintegrated.

    The only other time in history such a feature has been seen on Jupiter was in 1994 during the collision of fragments from comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. The spot looks strikingly similar to comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's impact features. The details seen in the Hubble view shows lumpiness in the debris plume caused by turbulence in Jupiter's atmosphere.

    The impactor is estimated to be the size of several football fields. The force of the explosion on Jupiter was thousands of times more powerful than the suspected comet or asteroid that exploded in June 1908 over the Tunguska River Valley in Siberia.

    This is a natural color image of Jupiter as seen in visible light.

    link
     
    #3 KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009
  4. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,753
    An asteroid, comet, or alien spaceship.
     
    #4 KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009
  5. ItsMyFault

    ItsMyFault Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2009
    Messages:
    15,646
    Likes Received:
    978
    Oh I get it... Jupiter has cancer now.

    :( Sad day....

    EDIT: nvm...

    Breaking News: Jupiter was shot.

    Who SHOT JUPITER? :mad:
     
    #5 ItsMyFault, Jul 25, 2009
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  6. dkoune

    dkoune Rookie

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2008
    Messages:
    2,852
    Likes Received:
    770
    and to think the asteroid was the size of our planet. When you think about thats just crazy. Makes me feel so small. Even though im awesome. :cool:
     
    #6 dkoune, Jul 25, 2009
  7. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,753
    Really puts into perspective how amazing it is that there is advanced life on our planet. Especially when you realize that Jupiter was just recently hit by something much larger.

    [​IMG]

    Shoemaker-Levy 9
     
    #7 KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009
  8. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,753
    [​IMG]

    Here is the impact with some false colors.
     
    #8 KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009
  9. Royals Ego

    Royals Ego Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2007
    Messages:
    4,744
    Likes Received:
    154
    an amateur discovered this before paid professionals?

    wtf...
     
    #9 Royals Ego, Jul 25, 2009
  10. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,753
    [​IMG]

    Here is the first picture; you can just see the dark spot near the southern pole -- courtesy to Anthony Mason. Jupiter is pretty easy to see with even a small telescope -- some of these amateurs have massive personal scopes.
     
    #10 KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009
  11. WhoMikeJames

    WhoMikeJames Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2005
    Messages:
    12,691
    Likes Received:
    306
    I've seen this in the news and I keep wondering why is this a big deal?

    BTW check out this total solar eclipse thats set to pass by Houston in 2024.

    [​IMG]
     
    #11 WhoMikeJames, Jul 25, 2009
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2009
  12. ClutchCityReturns

    ClutchCityReturns Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2005
    Messages:
    13,449
    Likes Received:
    2,720
    Where'd you see that?

    All I saw about its size was this...

     
    #12 ClutchCityReturns, Jul 25, 2009
  13. TheRealist137

    TheRealist137 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Messages:
    35,513
    Likes Received:
    22,682
    I hope it's an alien spaceship. If humans make contact with E.T.'s, it would be the single biggest event in civilization's history.
     
    #13 TheRealist137, Jul 25, 2009
  14. ItsMyFault

    ItsMyFault Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2009
    Messages:
    15,646
    Likes Received:
    978
    It's the new alien that the Rockets are about to trade for.... it is going to be our new franchise player.. that's why it's a big deal. Come on... get with the game damnit.
     
    #14 ItsMyFault, Jul 25, 2009
  15. thadeus

    thadeus Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2003
    Messages:
    8,313
    Likes Received:
    726
    I love how images like this still have the same effect on me that they did as a child - that combination of wonder with smallishness.

    I still want my earthrise wall mural.

    Also, for those of us in our late-twenties to forties or so:

    Do you feel ripped off?

    wait ... I'm gonna start another thread.

    http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=172545
     
    #15 thadeus, Jul 25, 2009
  16. God's Son

    God's Son Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    608
    Likes Received:
    1
    all it does is move me closer and closer to believing in an all mighty and a higher intelligent power. i look to the heavens and i cant help but wonder: what or who is keeping this massive universe or ours running with such perfection? if any millions of things go off one iota we will all die instantly and life will cease to exist, at leat in our own galaxy. there is someone or something that has all the power over us, and we are totally at its mercy like a helpless child suspended from the air at the sears tower and someone threatening to let us go at any moment

    we are such helpless and utterly pitiful creatures :(
     
    #16 God's Son, Jul 25, 2009
  17. fmullegun

    fmullegun Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    3,279
    Likes Received:
    23
    I wonder when DaDakota will post a picture from his telescope. Pretty sure his is more powerful than the HST.
     
    #17 fmullegun, Jul 25, 2009
  18. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2002
    Messages:
    59,079
    Likes Received:
    52,753
    The path of totalitarity looks like it is heading right over Austin and central Texas.
     
    #18 KingCheetah, Jul 25, 2009
  19. fmullegun

    fmullegun Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    3,279
    Likes Received:
    23
    I never knew you were into this stuff KC. Do you have optics? I have an 8" Newtonian.
     
    #19 fmullegun, Jul 25, 2009
  20. ToyCen428

    ToyCen428 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2007
    Messages:
    2,329
    Likes Received:
    124

    We already have...................... believe it or not.
     
    #20 ToyCen428, Jul 25, 2009
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page