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General Discussion => Science & Nature => Topic started by: sam on June 17, 2010, 04:28

Title: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: sam on June 17, 2010, 04:28
Quote
Detailed observations made by the Wide Field Camera 3 on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found an answer to the flash of light seen June 3 on Jupiter. It came from a giant meteor burning up high above Jupiter's cloud tops. The space visitor did not plunge deep enough into the atmosphere to explode and leave behind any telltale cloud of debris, as seen in previous Jupiter collisions.

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2010/20/
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: Clive on June 17, 2010, 08:19
Perhaps it was a very small asteroid.  :dunno:
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: sam on June 17, 2010, 14:23
maybe... or aliens  :laugh:
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: Clive on June 17, 2010, 17:36
 ;D
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: sam on June 19, 2010, 16:23
more from hubble on this: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100617-science-space-jupiter-impact-comet-meteor-hubble/
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: Clive on June 19, 2010, 19:39
Yes, a big difference between a meteor and an asteroid!  I know we get very bright fireballs in our own atmosphere so I suppose we should not be surprised that other solar system planets get them too.  Yet we are surprised!   :laugh:
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: sam on June 19, 2010, 19:53
indeed, I wonder what the probability of observing one is though, must be fairly low.
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: Clive on June 19, 2010, 20:16
More by luck than judgement!  But thoe guys will dine out on that for the rest of their lives.   ;D
Title: Re: Mysterious Flash on Jupiter Left No Debris Cloud
Post by: sam on June 19, 2010, 20:43
indeed!