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Shoemaker–Levy 9, Comet (D/1993 F2)

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 700+ words | Copyright

Shoemaker–Levy 9, Comet (D/1993 F2) A comet discovered on 1993March25 by the American astronomers E. M.Shoemaker, his wife Carolyn(Jean) Shoemaker, neé Spellmon (1929–), and David Howard Levy (1948– ); formerly designated 1994 X. The comet was in a 2-year orbit around Jupiter, having been captured in, or before, 1929. A close approach to Jupiter (21 000 km) in 1992July had disrupted the nucleus into at least 21 fragments. These fragments hit Jupiter over the week of 1994July16–22. The impacts produced prominent dark spots, visible even in small amateur telescopes, at latitude 44° S, distributed in longitude; they subsequently merged into a dark belt which persisted for 18 months.

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