Jupiter causes a storm in the astronomy community
Something enormous just slammed into Jupiter. Or at least that is what scientists are now saying. On Wednesday, amateur astronomers spotted something massive slamming into the very outer edge of the solar system. It happened as the biggest thing to hit the planet since the big one wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The collision was captured by NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavor, and it marked the arrival of the greatest space exploration vehicle ever built.
We don’t yet know what the object was – whether it was an asteroid or a comet – or how big it was. What we do know is that it was extremely large. At the moment, it could be considered a comet or asteroid. The staggering size of such a collision means it could be much bigger than the asteroid that affected Earth’s population at one period of time – some analysts say a class of impacts larger than a dozen meteorites.
There are many theories on exactly what this massive object was, and there are many reasons to suspect that it was a comet or asteroid. One possibility is that it came from some collision between two planets. The other possibility is that it got into Jupiter’s orbit too quickly. If that is true, it could have smashed into the gas giant planet at a speed of more than six miles per second – and at least one expert thinks it could have been close enough to actually cause a huge explosion on the surface of Jupiter.
Scientists can study the explosion in order to learn what caused it, but they will not be able to tell for sure what dissipated the comet or asteroid – and they might never know for sure what deteriorated the huge chunk that sped by Earth on July 10th.
When you get near the speed of anything moving at that speed, you can be pretty certain that it is going to hurt. For instance, you would not want to walk up to a runaway locomotive trying to slow it down. You would not try to get in front of a train that was only coming toward at a very high speed. And you certainly would not want to walk along the rail of a space ship while it was traveling close to the speed of light. It would simply be too dangerous.
But even if this massive object was not headed for Earth, it would still have caused significant damage. If it had hit the satellite, it could have done some serious damage. Or perhaps the asteroid had turned around and head for the Earth again. There are all kinds of possible collisions between rocks or comets with satellites and you don’t know when one is going to happen, especially since they are very rare.
If an asteroid is hitting our planet, we can use technology in the future to protect ourselves and our property. But right now, the only way to avoid this devastating event is to get your stuff down faster than it will fly into any part of the atmosphere.
Why Does Jupiter Have Such High Gravity
Jupiter has a high level of gravity, and satellites captured images of this. It is said that a probe landed on Jupiter sometime in the last century.
The latest in scientific discovery is that Jupiter was hit by something huge! This has been confirmed by the European Space Agency. The “Meteor Crater” situated in the Siberian arctic region was found to have the largest impact crater on Earth. There is a geologist named Dr. Vesto, who made many major discovery about planets and comets. He made a research at the Laboratory de Planets/LESMO (Spanish National Research Institute for Research on Space Research).
Based from the study, the meteorite that hit Jupiter must have been massive in size. It is estimated to have impacted at a rate of more than a centimeter per second. The meteorite that hit Jupiter is thought to have contained ice, rock, sulfur, and multiple layers of dust. Based from its orbit around Jupiter, it was not too heavy and may have been relatively lightweight. Jupiter has three satellites that are circling it. Its size and distance from the innermost planet indicate that it could have been very large.
There are also several other possible impacts that have occurred in the past. One occurred when a large asteroid slammed into the planet. This caused huge disruption to the structures all over Jupiter’s surface. One of these impacts can be clearly seen in the form of a giant impact crater named Canyons that is located on its edge.
Another interesting fact about Jupiter is that it receives ten times more solar radiation than Earth. Jupiter is the only planet in the solar system that receives this much radiation from the sun. It is interesting to note that this radiation comes directly from an object that is so far away. The scientists explain that Jupiter gets most of its electrical energy from its clouds, making it one of the most cloud-free places in the solar system.
One of the reasons why Jupiter got impacted by something big is because of its great distance from the Sun. A space probe that went to Jupiter a few years ago discovered that it receives nearly twice as much radiation from space as Earth. When this happens, it can cause huge disruptions in the atmosphere and layers of the planet. For instance, massive clouds can form and freeze, and volcanoes can erupt. Even though there are no clear signs of damage happening at the moment, experts believe that a space probe should be launched to investigate the possibility of a big impact caused by a space explosion.
Many theories have been formulated as to why Jupiter has got such a huge gravity well. Some scientists believe that it must have been caused by an object hitting the planet and causing it to move into position so that gravity is a lot stronger here on Earth.
If the meteor crater is found to contain a rich source of this mineral, then there is a very strong possibility that a big meteor hit the planet a long time ago.
Jupiter will always experience such things. When they find other planetary candidates that are similar in composition to this mineral, then we will know for sure.
Provided by Antonio Westley
Disclaimer: This article is meant to be seen as an overview of this subject and not a reflection of viewpoints or opinions as nothing is definitive. So, make sure to do your research and feel free to use this information at your own discretion.
