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Space & Astronomy

Jupiter collision a warning call to Earth

By T.K. Randall
July 24, 2009 · Comment icon 13 comments

Image Credit: NASA/JHU/APL
A large object has smacked in to Jupiter this weekend, the collision is the most significant observed since Shoemaker-Levy 9 in 1994 and serves as a reminder of how vulnerable the Earth is to impacts from outer space.
When an object smacked into Jupiter over the weekend, giving astronomers their best cosmic-collision show since the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 in 1994, the giant gas ball of a planet took the poke like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.


Source: Christian Science Monitor | Comments (13)




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Comment icon #4 Posted by lilmcnessy 16 years ago
This means Jupiter is doing its job, I watched a documentary last week about Jupiter like planets outside of the solar systems and they say you need a Jupiter like planets with a strong gravity pool to stop objects hitting into earth, or another planet we may inhabit
Comment icon #5 Posted by danielost 16 years ago
I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that the with all the million spent in space Exploration and astronomy, that they couldn’t even see a Damn Planetoid Hurtling towards Jupiter, Galileo must be rolling over in his Grave, they should yank out the Plug upon the SETI and other worthless research and put it where it could be of better use. And of course it wouldn’t have done any good to know or let others know if a Earth size Planetoid was hurtling towards the Planet Earth, if it hit Earth it would have been over in a mega Flash. I can hear Galileo Screaming now. sorry tell me how big is... [More]
Comment icon #6 Posted by Jaygatz 16 years ago
This means Jupiter is doing its job, I watched a documentary last week about Jupiter like planets outside of the solar systems and they say you need a Jupiter like planets with a strong gravity pool to stop objects hitting into earth, or another planet we may inhabit Yeah Exactly what the other planets do is protect us from impact, However theres always one that gets by. Was what about 4 or 5 years ago they didnt even see the peice of rock that came inbetween the earth and the moon. They don't monitor the entire sky all the time. Things are gonna get through undetected !!
Comment icon #7 Posted by fandango 16 years ago
With all of the satellites in orbit nowadays, you would think that some sort of half decent detection system could be piggybacked onto them. Perhaps cost is the reason they haven't.
Comment icon #8 Posted by MirrorImage 16 years ago
I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that the with all the million spent in space Exploration and astronomy, that they couldn’t even see a Damn Planetoid Hurtling towards Jupiter, Galileo must be rolling over in his Grave, they should yank out the Plug upon the SETI and other worthless research and put it where it could be of better use. And of course it wouldn’t have done any good to know or let others know if a Earth size Planetoid was hurtling towards the Planet Earth, if it hit Earth it would have been over in a mega Flash. I can hear Galileo Screaming now. You crack me up, but you... [More]
Comment icon #9 Posted by Enigmatic Ghost 16 years ago
You crack me up, but youre right. Thanks for making me grin. I do ?
Comment icon #10 Posted by Startraveler 16 years ago
. . . they should yank out the Plug upon the SETI and other worthless research . . . The government did that a long time ago. SETI is entirely privately funded now. But anyway, space is enormous and planetoids are, comparatively, not. You can't spot everything.
Comment icon #11 Posted by ninjadude 16 years ago
Not only that but SETI is not looking for local solar system planetoids but EM patterns from out in the galaxy. quite a difference in scope. Some non-gov groups try to catalog solar system objects. But it is near impossible to catalog all the small, sometimes non-light reflecting objects in our solar system. And then plot their orbits?!! You're not serious.
Comment icon #12 Posted by The Council of Nine 15 years ago
Jupiter is supposed to take these types hits....without it the rest of the planets would have been smashed a gazillion times over by now.
Comment icon #13 Posted by Hugh 15 years ago
The Main Asteroid Belt lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, so Jupiter's orbit is close to a lot of big asteroids to begin with. Also, Jupiter is over 317 times heavier than the Earth, and its volume could hold over 1,321 Earths. Its gravity is therefore stronger than Earth's, so it's going to get hit a lot more often than Earth.


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