Posted on 07/21/2009 6:07:43 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA
PASADENA, California — A large comet or asteroid has slammed into Jupiter, creating an impact site the size of Earth, pictures by an Australian amateur astronomer show.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed the discovery using its large infrared telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, said computer programer Anthony Wesley, 44, who discovered the impact zone while stargazing at home.
News of Wesley's find on a backyard 14.5-inch reflecting telescope has stunned the astronomy world, with scientists saying the impact will last only days more.
Wesley said it took him 30 minutes to realize a dark spot rotating in Jupiter's clouds on July 19 was actually the first impact seen by astronomers since a comet collided with the giant planet in July 1994.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Don’t look at me. I didn’t do it.
Global Warming must be to blame.
Guess nobody saw that one coming.
Pretty fricking scary that something that big slammed into Jupiter and we never saw it coming...
Wow! Neat! Score one for the little guy!
Al Gore?
Wonder if the folks on Jupiter saw that one coming?
Operative words: amateur astronomer
Astronomers stunned.
Sorta makes you lose faith in the absolute certainty and trust in scientists on matters, say, like . . .
Global warming models with predictions a century out.
While ignoring solar events happening now.
Obama’s fault. Obama lied aliens died.
Hmmm. Snuck in there. So much for transparency.
and that an amateur spotted it
How much are we paying that guy vs the pros? The same ones who tell us there the ones they are tracking are low threat.
I can’t believe no-one has said it yet, so here goes:
BUSH’S FAULT!
ACORN lander sent there to register voters. But only Democrats of course...
God put Jupiter there for this very purpose.
Whether we observe this protection is irrelevant.
I imagine there are quite a few other protective measures in place that we have no clue about,
but when we find them, scientists will say “oh, how lucky we are”.
Wow imagine the damage that could have done if it had hit Uranus!
That’s one big a$$ planet !!
Remember amateurs built the Ark, professionals the Titanic.
Jupiter, with its huge gravity well is a broom that does a good job of sweeping incoming flotsam and jetsam from coming into the inner solar system.
it is not perfect, but it does help
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