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| Amateur astronomer George Hall captured this image of an apparent impact on Jupiter while recording video telescope observations of the planet on Sept. 10, 2012, from Dallas Texas. (Picture from: http://shortformblog.com/) |
Bright flash of light near Jupiter caught on camera amateur astronomers on September 10, 2012. The light was thought to have originated from an asteroid collision with the greatest planet's atmosphere.
Like the previous nights, Dan Peterson of Racine, Wisconsin busy playing a telescope mirror diameter 30 centimeters in his yard. This time, he turns his telescope to Jupiter shining almost as bright Morning Star. That's when he saw the flash of light from behind the telescope. "Brightness lasted for 1.5 to 2 seconds," said Peterson.
Other astronomy lovers, George Hall, in Dallas, gave the same testimony. This time, he has video evidence of Jupiter fireball in the sky. The video he spread through photo and video sharing site, Flickr.
The appearance is reminiscent of light astronomers to crash strands Shoemaker-Levy comet with Jupiter in 1994. The collision produces a bright light in the sky Jupiter. The trail wound black imprint on the planet for a few months.
Spaceweather.com site, which actively monitors the solar system, estimate the fireball is an asteroid or comet that struck Jupiter at high speed. Collisions like this last occurred in mid-2010. Objects that hit Jupiter when it predicted a 10 meter asteroid. Asteroids of this type are found around the Jupiter. Some of these approaches due to the gravitational pull of Jupiter.
Reports from these amateur astronomers got a response from professional astronomers. Now astronomers from around the world to race directing their telescopes toward Jupiter. They hope to see the rest of collision.
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| This graphic of Jupiter by UK astronomer Pete Lawrence shows the location of the Jupiter impact region from Sept. 12, 2012, as seen through an inverting astronomical telescope. The impact site is located at longitude system II 335, latitude +12. (Picture from: http://www.space.com/) |
Objects that fall to the surface of Jupiter usually drove at a speed of 30 kilometers per second. Radius of Jupiter, 11 times larger than Earth and a mass 318 times heavier than Earth make this planet can draw objects with very high speed. Ability to attract small celestial bodies are close to the sun makes the giant planet is considered the protector of the small planets, including Earth. *** [SPACEWEATHER | SPACE | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3995]
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