Skip Navigation: Avoid going through Home page links and jump straight to content

McDonald Images of Fragment DEFGHLQ12R Impacts

mcd17_small.gif

NOTE: Click on the image to view it at its highest resolution.

McDonald Observations of Shoemaker-Levy9 striking Jupiter

July 22, 1994

Since our observations of the U and V impacts did not show any flashes or plumes, we present a set of images in five different wavelengths taken at McDonald Observatory on 22 July 1994 UT. In all of these images, north is at the top and west is on the right. The impact sites seen are: E/F, H, the G-D/S-Q1/Q2/R complex, and L going from east to west (left to right).

   The images are: 
   1. The 829nm continuum image showing the five dark impact sites. 
   2. The methane band image (893nm) showing the same sites as bright spots.
      This indicates these features are high in the atmosphere. 
   3. The continuum image (1.58 microns) showing almost complete lack of
      structure at the impact sites. This lack of features could indicate an
      intermediate case between absorption in regions of low atmospheric opacity
      and reflection/thermal emission in regions of high atmospheric opacity. 
   4. The molecular hydrogen band filter image (2.12 microns) with the Jupiter
      satellite Io moving in toward occultation from the right. 
   5. A methane band image (2.3 microns) showing complete absorption by the disc
      of Jupiter except for the poles and the impact sites. 

           Image   Wavelength      Time (UT)       Telescope
             1       829 nm         03:58          0.8m  CCD
             2       893 nm         04:00          0.8m  CCD
             3       1580 nm        03:34          2.7m  ROKCAM
             4       2122 nm        03:52          2.7m  ROKCAM
             5       2300 nm        03:25          2.7m  ROKCAM

Observers: Dr. Chan Na (Southwest Research Institute), Dr. Wayne Pryor (Univ. Colorado), Dr. Yongha Kim (Univ. Maryland) Dr. Anita Cochran, Dr. Beth Clark, Dr. William Cochran, Dr. Judit Ries, Mr. Anand Kudari (Univ. Texas), and Dr. Edwin Barker (NASA Headquarters)

sl95_icon.gifImages, Images, Images

clrbar.gif jpl.xbm