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<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2>A large object, possibly an asteroid or a meteor, hit
the planet Jupiter on Thursday, resulting in a large
fireball.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2>The fireball was seen on June 3 at 2031 UTC by two
independent amateur astronomers, Christopher Go in the Philippines and Anthony
Wesley in Australia. Wesley, who is known for having also spotted last July's
Jupiter impact event. He caught this latest impact on video, which
showed a fireball the size of Earth after the object hit. It could be the first
time someone has recorded a meteor crashing into a planet.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2>This latest strike came only hours after a team from
the Space Science Institute, led by astronomer Heidi Hammel, announced that last
year's event was the result of an asteroid 1,640 feet (500 metres) wide. That
asteroid caused a scar the size of the Pacific Ocean when it hit Jupiter with
the force of several thousand nuclear bombs on July 19,
2009.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2>The planet last experienced a major impact in July
1994, when it was hit by Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9), resulting in large scars
as well. Scientists originally thought that there would not be any more Jupiter
strikes for several centuries following SL9, but have now been proved wrong
twice in as many years.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2>The video of Thursday's impact may be seen at
</FONT></STRONG><STRONG><FONT size=2><A
href="http://www.physorg.com/news194845088.html">http://www.physorg.com/news194845088.html</A></FONT></STRONG></DIV></BODY></HTML>