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> Impact on Jupiter

Impact on Jupiter

author: Nasa/ESA/Novapix

reference: a-jup02-70020

Image Size 300 DPI: 25 * 17 cm

This Hubble picture, taken on 23 July 2009, is the sharpest visible-light picture taken of the atmospheric debris from a comet or asteroid that collided with Jupiter on 19 July. This is Hubble's first science observation following its repair and upgrade in May. The image was taken with the new Wide Field Camera 3. 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 colour image of Jupiter as seen in visible light.

Keywords for this photo:

2009 - ASTEROID - ASTRONOMY - COLLISION - COMET - HST - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - IMPACT - JUPITER - PLANET -