Why did Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 get pulled apart?
Why did Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 get pulled apart?
Calculations showed that its unusual fragmented form was due to a previous closer approach to Jupiter in July 1992. At that time, the orbit of Shoemaker–Levy 9 passed within Jupiter’s Roche limit, and Jupiter’s tidal forces had acted to pull apart the comet.
What happened to the Shoemaker-Levy comet?
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 experienced one of the most spectacular ends that humans ever witnessed. Several months after its discovery, pieces of the comet smashed into the planet Jupiter. The collision produced scars that were visible from Earth.
What tore apart the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet?
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, torn into pieces as a result of a close approach to Jupiter in July 1992, will collide with Jupiter during the third week of July 1994. Because the impacts will occur on the night side of Jupiter, the explosions will not be directly observable from Earth. …
Why was Shoemaker-Levy 9 important?
Shoemaker-Levy 9 left dark, ringed scars that were eventually erased by Jupiter’s winds. While the impact was dramatic, it was more than a show. It gave scientists an opportunity to gain new insights into Jupiter, Shoemaker-Levy 9, and cosmic collisions in general.
Who named Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9?
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (named after its discoverers Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker and David Levy) collided with Jupiter in the first ever observed collision between two objects in our solar system.
Which is the largest asteroid in the solar system?
Ceres
Largest by diameter
| Name | Diameter (km) (geometric mean) | Discoverer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ceres | 939.4±0.2 | Piazzi, G. |
| 4 Vesta | 525.4±0.2 | Olbers, H. W. |
| 2 Pallas | 511±4 | Olbers, H. W. |
| 10 Hygiea | 433±8 | de Gasparis, A. |
What happened to the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9?
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 ( formally designated D/1993 F2) was a comet that broke apart and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects. This generated a large amount of coverage in the popular media, and the comet was closely observed by astronomers worldwide.
What is the significance of the collision of Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter?
The collision provided new information about Jupiter and highlighted its possible role in reducing space debris in the inner Solar System . The comet was discovered by astronomers Carolyn and Eugene M. Shoemaker and David Levy in 1993. Shoemaker–Levy 9 (SL9) had been captured by Jupiter and was orbiting the planet at the time.
What was the name of the comet that broke apart?
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 ( formally designated D/1993 F2) was a comet that broke apart in July 1992 and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects.
How big was the nucleus of Comet SL9?
Astronomers estimated that the visible fragments of SL9 ranged in size from a few hundred metres to two kilometres across, suggesting that the original comet may have had a nucleus up to 69 across Template:Spaced ndashsomewhat larger than Comet Hyakutake, which became very bright when it passed close to the Earth in 1996.
