Jupiter: gas giant has a hole

Collision in solar system leaves nasty gash in the swirling gas clouds of Jupiter

Credit Australian amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley with the discovery. He lives outside of Murrumbateman, New South Wales, about 23 miles north of Canberra.

He was nearing the end of a long skywatching session Sunday when his telescope’s camera recorded what looked like a fresh dark collision scar on Jupiter’s cloud tops. It was moving too slowly to be a Jovian moon’s shadow, and it wasn’t there in observations he’d made a few nights earlier. You can read his full account of the observation at his website.

The mark was similar to marks left after comet Shoemaker-Levy 9’s buckshot-like collision with Jupiter in 1994. The comet had broken into 21 fragments and would pepper the giant planet between July 16 and July 22.

Fifteen years later to the day(s), Mr. Wesley made his discovery.

http://features.csmonitor.com/discoveries/2009/07/21/amateur-astronomer-finds-a-hole-punched-in-jupiter/