Shoemaker-Levy 9 question

[billbryan516]

<p>This has always perplexed me about the impact of Shoemaker-Levy 9:</p><p>Being&nbsp;that&nbsp;Jupiter&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;gaseous&nbsp;planet...what&nbsp;did&nbsp;the&nbsp;comet-fragments&nbsp;actually&nbsp;"impact"&nbsp;and&nbsp;how&nbsp;did&nbsp;it&nbsp;leave&nbsp;an&nbsp;impact&nbsp;"scar"&nbsp;that&nbsp;quite&nbsp;closely resembeled a crater on the surface if there IS NO surface?</p><p>Is&nbsp;the&nbsp;gas&nbsp;that&nbsp;dense&nbsp;that&nbsp;matter&nbsp;would&nbsp;actually&nbsp;react&nbsp;to&nbsp;it&nbsp;as&nbsp;if&nbsp;it&nbsp;were&nbsp;solid?</p><p>I&nbsp;just&nbsp;don't&nbsp;get&nbsp;the&nbsp;physics&nbsp;of&nbsp;it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Can&nbsp;anyone&nbsp;help&nbsp;me&nbsp;understand?</p><p>Thanks!!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

 

[origin]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>This has always perplexed me about the impact of Shoemaker-Levy 9:Being&nbsp;that&nbsp;Jupiter&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;gaseous&nbsp;planet...what&nbsp;did&nbsp;the&nbsp;comet-fragments&nbsp;actually&nbsp;"impact"&nbsp;and&nbsp;how&nbsp;did&nbsp;it&nbsp;leave&nbsp;an&nbsp;impact&nbsp;"scar"&nbsp;that&nbsp;quite&nbsp;closely resembeled a crater on the surface if there IS NO surface?Is&nbsp;the&nbsp;gas&nbsp;that&nbsp;dense&nbsp;that&nbsp;matter&nbsp;would&nbsp;actually&nbsp;react&nbsp;to&nbsp;it&nbsp;as&nbsp;if&nbsp;it&nbsp;were&nbsp;solid?I&nbsp;just&nbsp;don't&nbsp;get&nbsp;the&nbsp;physics&nbsp;of&nbsp;it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Can&nbsp;anyone&nbsp;help&nbsp;me&nbsp;understand?Thanks!!&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Posted by billbryan516</DIV><br /><br />When the comet fragments hit&nbsp;they burned up in the upper atmosphere (exploded really).&nbsp; This raised the temperature of the surrounding gases and changed the chemistry of the gas in the area of the impact.&nbsp; That is 'scar' that was seen on the 'surface'.&nbsp; That is also why it gradually disappeared over time.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is along&nbsp;the&nbsp;same lines as&nbsp;the different color bands that are around the planet as a result of temperature and composition differences&nbsp;in the gases at the various latitudes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Posted by origin</DIV><br /><br />Nice answer! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[billbryan516]

Gooootcha...well that makes sense. &nbsp;Thank you! <br />

 

[origin]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Nice answer! <br />Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV><br /><br />Well thanks, and glad to help. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>