Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) was discovered close to the planet Jupiter on March 23, 1993, by Carolyn S. Shoemaker, Eugene M. Shoemaker and David H. Levy at Pailomar Observatory and was named in their honor. This HST image of it was taken about three months later, on July 1, 1993.
It was a most unusual comet. At the time of its discovery, it was already in about 20 pieces, strung out across the sky like a row of pearls. Calculations soon showed that SL9 was in orbit around Jupiter, rather than around the Sun as comets normally are. What was more, it was on a collision course with the giant due to crash through Jupiter's clouds in July 1994. In July 1992, SL9s orbit carried it so close to Jupiter that tidal forces tore it apart and sent the on their course to final destruction. The break-up released large quantities of dust, which reflected sunlight well and made the comet easier to see. It is very likely that it had been orbiting Jupiter unnoticed for several decades before the fatal encounter of 1992.
Camera: WF/PC-1 in PC mode
Credit: H. A. Weaver and T. E. Smith (STScI),
and NASA
