title: Collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter observed by the NASA infrared telescope facility.
abstract: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Infrared Telescope Facility was used to investigate the collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter from 12 July to 7 August 1994. Strong thermal infrared emission lasting several minutes was observed after the impacts of fragments C, G, and R. All impacts warmed the stratosphere and some the troposphere up to several degrees. The abundance of stratospheric ammonia increased by more than 50 times. Impact-related particles extended up to a level where the atmospheric pressure measured several millibars. The north polar near-infrared aurora brightened by nearly a factor of 5 a week after the impacts.
authors.affiliation: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91109.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: A'Hearn
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baines
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deming
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goguen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hammel
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hunten
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D001272:Atmosphere; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D018538:Jupiter; D016082:Solar System; D013696:Temperature; D014481:United States; D018557:United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
chemical_list: D000641:Ammonia; D002248:Carbon Monoxide