Jupiter Got Struck By A Massive Unidentified Object

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A recent observation by an amateur astronomer got us wondering what really happened to Jupiter. How could an impact like that really occur and what is the nature of the large object that hit the planet? We’re going to find out with the help of the latest details offered by astronomers.

For Ethan Chappel, it was just another Wednesday night that he chose to spend it in his backyard, with his telescope in action. His night was just about to turn into the greatest ever when he succeeded to catch a glimpse of something unusual. For the amateur astronomer, the backyard telescope he used so many times, proved this time its effectiveness.

Ethan Chappel identified on August 7 what it appeared to be just a bright flash on the Jupiter’s area, one of the most significant planets out there. It is usual, however, for Jupiter to flash itself sometimes and to deliver us many great shots like those taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft.

Jupiter Got Struck By A Massive Unidentified Object

This time though, the simple bright light was something never seen before, and the fact that an amateur astronomer succeeded to catch a glimpse of it, made it even more critical.

The happening made astronomers think at a possible impact of a meteor with the mighty Jupiter. A second observation and we got the result, officially. It sure looks like a massive asteroid hit the gas type enormous Jupiter. The bright light also gave the idea of an impact, because it was swift and then it faded in the same manner.

Dr. Heidi B. Hammel announced on her Twitter account details about the happening, stating that is was a significant impact between Jupiter and a meteor. She also explained that this action would not leave any dark remains as the SL9 did many years ago. Good to know that SL9 is Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, and made quite a history with its 1994 impact on Jupiter.

Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.