1-157-368 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Comet Shoemaker-Levy colliding with Jupiter, 20 July 1994. Between 16 and 22 July 1994, some 20 fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 struck the atmosphere of Jupiter, creating disturbances which remained visible to astronomers for several days. The largest impact released energy equivalent to an estimated 6 million megatons of TNT and left a mark in the Jovian atmosphere larger than the diameter of the Earth. Astronomers believe that Jupiter plays a vital role in intercepting cosmic debris that might otherwise have reached the inner solar system, enabling the unbroken development of life on Earth to have occurred. Impact with Jupiter 20 July 1994. Photograph taken from Cape Town, South Africa.