Jupiter Impact 2009 Options

[Stu]

Very interesting observation of a dark mark on Jupiter... it's starting to ripple out across Twitter...

http://www.irishastronomy.org/cms/forum?fu...;id=79644#79647

More info: http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/ObsReport...ter-impact.html

[Stu]

Interesting Twitter site to follow re this story...

http://twitter.com/LeighFletcher

[ugordan]

Would we be able to measure the temperatue and cross-referencing the decay with SL-9 data come up with a rough impact time? Which would then show us if it was the Earth-facing hemisphere or not - not that it would be a terribly useful piece of info.

Regarding a Saturn impact - two things:

1) It would probably be harder to spot by an amateur and thus more likely to be missed
2) I'm not sure Cassini could be retargeted so quickly anyway. It's running sequences preprogrammed weeks if not months ahead.

[tedstryk]

Yes, but Cassini would undoubtedly serendipitously make some measurements sooner or later. I imagine that once they have approximated impact time as best they can, many people will be scouring webcam video as well as deep exposures in the general vicinity to try to pick up something. I would say finding imagery of the impact is unlikely - there is nearly a 50% chance that it happened out of view of earth, and even if it was in view, it would take a really good telescope and imaging system to get it, unless it was an infrared telescope, but that would require even more tremendous luck. Also, an infrared observation would have been so obvious and likely taken by professionals, so it is hard to see it being missed. Basically, a more likely scenario is that we narrow it down by finding the first time it should have transited and wasn't seen. This may improve, as many amateur observers take a while to submit their data. Then, hopefully, based on the time frame, any deep wide field frames that might show something can be searched. Still, this is a real needle in a haystack. SL-9 was much larger - based on this spot, it would seem many of its fragments were much larger - than this impactor. Plus, correct me if I'm wrong, but SL-9 wouldn't have been nearly as active had it not been ripped to pieces by Jupiter's gravity. Plus, has anyone considered the fact that this might have been an asteroid? That would likely never be found.

[ugordan]

Plus, correct me if I'm wrong, but SL-9 wouldn't have been nearly as active had it not been ripped to pieces by Jupiter's gravity. Plus, has anyone considered the fact that this might have been an asteroid? That would likely never be found.

I read SL-9 was likely in orbit around Jupiter since the 1930s, but wasn't picked up until after it was torn apart as you say. A small inbound comet or an asteroid would never have been picked up, probably even if we knew where to look. The magnitude would just be below detectable.