We Earthlings
October 1st 2008 01:39
July 21, 1994. The K impact site is just rotating onto the disk of the planet, while the E site is rotating off to the right. Two older impact sites are still visible between them, although their brightness has diminished :Image credit New Mexico State University
We Earthlings owe a debut of gratitude to our distant neighbor planet Jupiter
Although Earth has been stuck many times by Asteroids and giant meteorites in the past, the Earth as we know would not be as hospitable as it is now if it wasn’t for the strong forces of Jupiter’s immense gravitational field diverting many possible killer Asteroid away from Earth orbit. There are many rouge Asteroids roaming the Solar System most maintain an orderly path. At times a series of gravitational forces come in to play with the combination of our Sun and the two most prominant planets Jupiter and Saturn. Sometimes visiting comets and Asteroids may have their orbits diverted by these forces causing them to either divert away from our solar system or be consumed by the Sun or in the case of comet Shoemaker Levi 9 destroyed by Jupiter shear size and energy.
You may remember some years ago when comet Shoemaker Levi 9 was torn apart after crossing the orbit of Jupiter resulting in a series of spectacular impact on the surface of Jupiter. We were previlidged to be able to witness in our lifetime an extraordinary cosmic event in our own back” yard” our Solar System. At the time Jupiter took a pounding by the fragments of the doomed comet. Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 consisted of at least 21 individual fragments with diameters estimated at up to 2 kilometers.
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Hubble image taken with filters showing G impact image credit NASA
If any of these fragments were to hit Earth we would have significant devastation and environment change on a large scale. Jupiter with its sheer size still had visible scars that lasted many weeks.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Great question.
Questions are welcome anytime.
Jupiter does not have a "surface" as such like we do on Earth.
Jupiter “surface” is not solid, the” surface” is a giant liquid sea made form a series of liquid densities starting at the very top helium gas clouds do form as you go deeper in to Jupiter’s atmosphere the gas gets more viscous almost the consistency of very thick jelly. Having a viscous surface any impact will show up for a while then gets absorbed and covered over with more liquid. Jupiter itself is made up form Hydrogen this is liquid metallic hydrogen with a similar consistency to liquid Mercury.
I hope this explanation has helped.
Carl
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief