Hubble Space Telescope Captures Rare Jupiter Collision
Date: 23 Jul 2009

This Hubble picture, taken on 23 July 2009, by the Wide Field Camera 3, is the sharpest visible-light picture taken of the atmospheric debris from a comet or asteroid that collided with Jupiter on 19 July 2009. This was Hubble's first science observation following its repair and upgrade in May of that year. The size of the impactor is estimated to be as large as several football fields.


Last Update: 21 Jun 2011 (AMB)

Credit: NASA, ESA, H. Hammel (SSI) and the Jupiter Impact Team