Table of Contents
Background Material for Science Teachers
JULY 1994 -- Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides with Jupiter
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
is expected to collide with
Jupiter
in July 1994. From this historic event, scientists hope to learn
more about comets, Jupiter, and the physics of high velocity
planetary impacts.
- Introduction:
- Main Contents:
- 1. What Is a Comet?
- 2. The Motion of Comets
- 3. The Fragmentation of Comets
- 4. The Discovery and Early Study of Shoemaker-Levy 9
- 5. The Planet Jupiter
- 6. The Final Orbit of Shoemaker-Levy 9
- 7. The Collisions
- 8. How Can These Impacts and Their Consequences Be Studied?
- 9. What Do Scientists Expect to Learn from All of This?
- Appendices:
- A. Comparative Tables
- B. The K-T Event
- C. The Probability of Collisions with Earth
- Acknowledgments:
Hypertext version by
Calvin J. Hamilton
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