Astronomy Journal Entry
Big Scar Appears on Jupiter (November 2, 2009)
The box shows an enlarged view of the huge scar on the surface of Jupiter. NASA Hubble Space Telescope.
A huge scar bigger than the Pacific Ocean is visible near Jupiter's south pole. Astronomers say it's the result of a violent collision with either an asteroid or a comet. If signs of water are found at the crash site, it's more likely from an icy comet.
The scar covers an area of over 70 million square miles (175 million square kilometers). It has an irregular shape, a hint that the object slamming into Jupiter likely broke into smaller bits before striking the surface.
The collision reveals new data on Jupiter's atmosphere. Infrared pictures of the crash site show new details of the planet's swirling clouds of ammonia gas and dust. The crash is the most spectacular seen on Jupiter since chunks of Comet Shoemaker-Levy rained down on the gas giant fifteen years ago.
