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Comet May Have Hit Jupiter

NASA Releases Images Showing Scar in Planet's Atmosphere

AP
posted: 8 HOURS 18 MINUTES AGO
comments: 327
filed under: Science News
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PASADENA, Calif. (July 22) -- Astronomers say Jupiter has apparently been struck by an object, possibly a comet.
Images taken by NASA early Monday show a scar in the atmosphere near the south pole of the gas giant.
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The images, taken by the space agency's infrared telescope in Hawaii, come on the 15th anniversary of another comet strike.
In 1994, Jupiter was bombarded by pieces of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena captured the new images after receiving a tip from an amateur astronomer the night before.
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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-07-20 21:48:19
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Gopher20467

12:00 AMJul 22 2009

Interesting that no one saw a comet heading toward Jupiter until it actually hit the planet. This is scary! What if a comet or asteroid were heading toward Earth and no one saw "IT" coming? Who is watching out for us? I guess the END can be closer then we think.

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NibiruRising

11:17 PMJul 22 2009

RE: XEMERc>>>>> What did you say? Hale Boop hit Jupiter? Same distance from the Sun?

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MassSteve

11:13 PMJul 22 2009

i hope the friggin planet blows up...hahahaha

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NibiruRising

11:11 PMJul 22 2009

12/21/2012 is coming at us faster than any comet. If the magnetic pull of the moon affects Earths oceans the way it does then what will all of the planets in our solar system lining up with the center of the Milky Way do? Why is nobody asking this question? Maybe because they already know the answer.

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DarkskiesRbest

11:06 PMJul 22 2009

Black2Deep - After thinking about it for a second, it would make zero sense it was an object the size of earth. The gravitational pull would have been measured and it would have been easily seen with the naked eye. It was probably around the size of the last one 15 years ago since the scars are about the same. The poster said he read it on NASA's home page, he was lying.

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ThreeFromIL

11:03 PMJul 22 2009

Yipes, is it going to be like that Meteor tv movie just on, where a chunk comes flying at us? Ah, not likely. It's always the stuff you don't anticipate or fear that comes and hits your from behind.

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RANN948 Click to read Low-rated and possibly explicit material.

DarkskiesRbest

11:03 PMJul 22 2009

What was strange was a Ham Radio Operator recorded this just before the impact - "Get this straight! I'm just a mean green mother from outer space and I'm bad."

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Flairbrusher

10:58 PMJul 22 2009

It's the END OF THE WOORRRRRLLLLDD! RUN AWAAAY! RUUUUNNNN!!! SCREAM LIKE LITTLE GIRLS!! SCREEEEEEAAAAMMMM!!!!

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CONCHHORN Click to read Low-rated and possibly explicit material.

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Astronomers say Jupiter has apparently been struck by an object, possibly a comet.