Science

Mystery Space Object Hits Jupiter

On the third week of July 1994, comet Shoemaker-Levy crashed into Jupiter’s fiery atmosphere. NASA says that another “mystery space object” hit during the same week but 15 years later, leaving a bruise as big as the Pacific Ocean.

Judging by the series of images taken by Hubble’s newly installed Wide Field Camera 3, the current theory is that the object was a 488m wide asteroid. Analysis of the angle and size of the bruise reveals that the mystery object possibly came from the Hilda belt, a group of 1100 asteroids orbiting near Jupiter. [NASA via NASA Goddard Twitter]

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(3 Comments)
  • [–]

    Richard

    Friday, June 4, 2010 at 11:01 AM

    I’m guessing…

    The first one was an alien scout ship that hit a space anomaly and crashed into the planet. Second one was the search / rescue team looking for the first, who also hit the space anomaly and crashed.

    If we’re unlucky the alien overlords will think we shot them down. If we are lucky though, their battle armada will hit the same space anomaly and will crash into the planet.

    Reply
    • [–]

      polymath

      Friday, June 4, 2010 at 11:36 AM

      @Richard
      …or they’ll be swallowed by a small dog.

      Reply
  • [–]

    mr. strange ideas

    Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 5:30 AM

    if there were aliens involved, I wonder what they will look like… By the way richard and polymath, you might also be able to step on them if they’re small.

    Reply

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