European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 8, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Mark Langford United press International Arth bound observatories will be trained on Jupiter this summer for what scientists Are calling an unprecedented Opportunity to study a titanic collision Between the giant Gas planet and an errant Comet. Although the Comet is. Expected to slam into Jupiter s backside a out of View of Earth based telescopes a astronomers will watch  of Light reflected from the largest Jovian Moons and Monitor any changes in the gaseous planet s roiling atmosphere. Quot this is like a very Large bomb being dropped into Jupiter s atmosphere Quot said Anita Cochran a research scientist and Comet specialist at the University of Texas in Austin. Quot it s much larger than any bomb on  on estimates of the Comet s mass she said the Energy expended in the collision could equal a magnitude 11 or 11.5 earthquake. Quot the reason the whole world will be watching is this is our first Chance for observational testing of some major theories on the origin of Earth s atmosphere the Dinosaur extinction and the history of the Early solar system Quot said Torrence Johnson Galileo project scientist at the Jet propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena Calif. Quot Large scale impacts Are known to be a major Factor in planetary formation and evolution. Just take a look at the Moon s . The Galileo spaceship on its Way to Jupiter for a december 1995 rendezvous could provide scientists with a treasure trove of data a being the Only Craft far enough in the solar system yet close enough to Jupiter to get a Birds Eye View of the places of Impact. Quot it will be the Only platform to see the Impact events themselves Quot Johnson said. Quot we will soon begin planning what. Instruments to use to View those events How Many we can see and what to  a the errant Comet is Shoemaker Levy 9, which approached so close to the gaseous Jupiter in july 1992, it was probably torn apart by gravitational forces. Scientists predict that Between july 16 and july 22, successive pieces of the Comet will slam into the solar system s largest planet at a Speed of 37 Miles per second. Shoemaker Levy was about 6 Miles wide before it broke apart Cochran said said Quot there Are 21 major pieces we can see Quot with the largest several Miles across. Quot it s pretty rare that we see a Comet split up like this Quot she said. Quot we Don t fully understand Why they break up. It could have had some really weak areas and the tidal forces caused it to  scientists Are not sure what will happen when the collision occurs. If a Large enough piece makes it through Jupiter s outer atmosphere the explosion could throw up material from the lower atmosphere giving scientists a first time glimpse of what lies below the planet s Cloud shrouded surface. Within an hour of the crash Cochran said the Impact area will rotate into Earth s View and astronomers across the country will be watching for changes in the Structure of Jupiter s Clouds. / Quot it s possible that for a Short while the planet will appear quite dramatically different Quot said Jeff Kanipe a spokesman for it s Mcdonald Observatory where sky watchers will be glued to its four telescopes. The Observatory nestled in the Davis mountains of far West Texas will train its 107-Inch, 82-Inch, 36-Inch and 30-Inch telescopes on the event. Although the Impact will be on Jupiter s far Side there could be plenty of indirect action to watch. Quot when the pieces hit depending on How big they Are and How deep they will go into the inner atmosphere there May be a fireball that comes out of Jupiter Quot Cochran said. Quot there May be an increase in Light off the other  in addition to Moon brightness scientists will look at spectral lines to determine if any material from the lower atmosphere is dredged up closer to the surface. Quot Well be looking at the chemistry in the upper atmosphere Quot Kanipe said. Quot the blast might throw up material from the lower Cloud decks. Some astronomers predict an explosion in the upper Cloud deck but the dispersal May be very  Cochran said scientists Quot got real unlucky Quot when it was determined there would not be a direct View of the Impact. On the other hand she said if the collision was delayed by one month scientists a would see nothing at All because the Sun would obstruct the entire event. Jupiter will be 375 million to 400 million Miles away from Earth when the Impact occurs. Although the Galileo satellite will be in position to Monitor the collision directly Cochran said its High gain Antenna is out of service and it May collect Little useful information. Quot it May take images that Don t really count Quot she said. Kanipe said it is Quot unprecedented Quot for the Mcdonald Observatory to dedicate All four of its telescopes to a single event a one that Quot has never been observed  the Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona will also be conducting a comprehensive study along with the orbiting Hubble space Telescope. A Quot this is unique because we know it s coming Quot said Cochran. Quot it s the first time we be been Able to witness an event like this. It should Tell us a lot about the Energy and the effects of such an Impact Quot tracking the crashing Comet collision with Jupiter could reveal secrets of the universe july 1992 Jupiter a orbit plane 1 \ the Comet s n Cigar shaped orbit has carried in More than Lens of millions of Miles trom Jupiter then Back again closer and closer. July 1994 in 1992. The Cornel captured by Jupiter s Gravity barely missed the planet. 3. The largest of the nine planets Jupiter is a Gigantic Ball of Hydrogen and helium with a Small Core that May be made up mostly of a metallic Hydrogen slush. Its diameter is 11 times that of Earth and its rotation period or Quot Day Quot is less than 10 hours. 4. The Comet has broken up into at least 21 mini comets probably from the gravitational effects of its close passage. 5. Scientists say some or All Comet pieces travelling at 40 Miles per second Likely will collide with the backside of Jupiter Over several Days late july. The exact nature of the encounter is Uncertain. But specialists say the Impact should a Crater Quot Jupiter a atmosphere at least briefly. Each incoming chunk of dirty ice should break into a rubble Ball then flatten like a Pancake As it plows through increasing resistance. Finally 100 or 200 Miles below the Cloud tops it should be halted by a virtual Wall of atmospheric resistance. Its sudden Stop should release Energy equivalent to multiple millions of tons of int in the form of an expanding blast wave similar to that in a nuclear bomb blast blowing 4 hot Gas thousands of Niles beyond Jupiter s Cloud tops. Artist s Conception at right the crash of �?T94 the anticipated collision of Comet Shoemaker a by 9 with Jupiter May be one of the celestial events of the Century releasing Energy equivalent to the Impact that May have wiped out the dinosaurs on Earth 65 million years ago. Siut there Are no Good seats the impacts will occur on the Side facing away from Earth. Scientists Hope to see reflections of the fireworks on the surfaces of Jupiter a nearest Moons and to study the lingering effects in the atmosphere As the Impact area spins Back into View every few hours. \ 18 the stars and stripes tuesday february 8, 1994