Astronomy Picture of the Day 5-25-02

NASA ^ | 5-25-02 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2002 May 25

A String Of Pearls
Credit: H. Weaver (JHU), T. Smith (STScI), NASA

Explanation: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, named after its co-discoverers, was often referred to as the "string of pearls" comet. It is famous for its suggestive appearance as well as its collision with the planet Jupiter! The comet's original single nucleus was torn to pieces by Jupiter's strong gravity during a close encounter with the solar system's largest planet in 1992. The pieces are seen (scroll right) in this composite of Hubble Space Telescope images to be "pearls" strung out along the comet's orbital path. In July of 1994 these pieces collided with Jupiter in a rare and spectacular series of events.

[petuniasevan]

Remember this spectacular set of events?
It seems that Jupiter's influence draws in many comets that might otherwise pose a danger to Earth.

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[petuniasevan]

APOD PING!

[RightWhale]

EUGENE M. SHOEMAKER (1928-1997)
One of the earliest to realize lunar craters were asteroidal impacts. Prevented by Addison's disease from becoming an astronaut himself, he became a leading USGS expert on asteroid craters on the moon, on earth, and at nuclear test sites. He and his wife were accidentally killed in Australia going to examine asteroid craters as they had been doing for years. His ashes were sent to the moon, so he got there after all.

[petuniasevan]

Dr. Gene Shoemaker died Friday, July 18 (Australian Time) in Alice Springs, Australia in a car accident. He was in the field, pursuing his lifelong passion of geologic studies to help understand impact craters with his wife and science partner, Carolyn Shoemaker. Carolyn survived the accident sustaining various injuries.

[petuniasevan]

Remember this?

[RightWhale]

Thanks for the correction. Good, I am glad she survived. So now I'm only half as affected by the tragic acccident as I was a minute ago.

[kayak]

Thanks for doing this thread each day. I may not always post but I do always look ...... and stand in awe of the wonders of the universe!

[2Trievers]

I would rather be a meteor
every atom of me in magnificent glow
Then a sleepy and permanent planet.

-Jack London (1876-1916)

Thanks 'tunia .. always spectacular and wondrous! &;-)