Latest Science Jerminology

This document, titled "Latest Science Terminology" by Rajeev Kumar Singh, is a two-page excerpt likely from a Jain publication ("हीरक जयन्ती स्मारिका"). It focuses on the collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in July 1994 and discusses related scientific concepts and potential future scenarios.

Here's a breakdown of the content:

Page 1:

• Melancholy Event in Space: The excerpt vividly describes the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's fragments into Jupiter.
  • Timing and Scale: The collision began on July 17, 1994, at high speeds (200,000 km/hour). The impacts raised plumes of heat and clouds, leaving Jupiter scarred with a black dot roughly half the size of Earth.
  • Global Observation: Space research centers worldwide were prepared with telescopes to witness this event.
  • Energy Release: Co-discoverer Eugene Shoemaker estimated the fireball and plume to be 1,930 km wide, releasing energy equivalent to 200,000 megatons of TNT.
• Theory Under Jupiter Movement:
  • The text explores theoretical possibilities concerning Jupiter's behavior following such a massive impact. These include Jupiter ringing like a gong, glowing brighter, developing a second "red eye" (referencing its known Great Red Spot, first observed by Robert Hook in 1664), its faint rings becoming spectacular like Saturn's, or icy fragments melting and creating "dirty rain" on Jupiter.
  • Comet's History: The comet, officially named periodic Shoemaker-Levy 9, had broken into pieces two years prior during a close pass by Jupiter. These fragments were described as a "necklace of 21 evenly matched diamonds" in space. The comet had a four-billion-year history but was captured by Jupiter's gravity in the mid-1980s, leading to its decay and collision.

Page 2:

• Possible Impacts of Collision:
  • Meteor Shower: The fragmented parts of the comet disintegrated upon entering Jupiter's atmosphere, creating a meteor shower.
  • Cracks Found in Cloud: Comet pieces hit Jupiter's atmosphere at 60 km/second, creating powerful shock waves that penetrated the planet's "colour tops."
  • Depth Charge: The shock waves propelled fragments deeper, around 24 km below the cloud tops. Here, the comet chunks likely vaporized due to the immense pressure and expansion of gases, producing a large fireball.
  • Soft Catch: The resulting explosion created a mushroom cloud reaching approximately 3,000 km above Jupiter.
• Additional Resources and Initiatives:
  • The event highlighted the need for improved observational equipment and monitoring of radio frequencies for changes on Jupiter.
  • Astronomers, astrophysicists, and the general public were fortunate to witness this rare event, described as happening once in 1,000 years.
  • Space Guard Survey: Initial steps were taken by astronomers and scientists for NASA's space guard survey in 1992. A report recommended a program to catalogue and track asteroids that could collide with Earth, noting that the orbits of only a small fraction are known.
  • Threat from the Outer Solar System: The most significant threat comes from the outer solar system, where trillions of comets reside undetected. Approximately 10 new comets enter the inner solar system annually, discovered as they approach the sun.
  • Defense Against Cosmic Objects: The document poses the question of how to defend against these "lethal cosmic-objects." Potential solutions range from expanding comet and asteroid watch programs to developing "star wars" type technology to deflect or break up threatening bodies, possibly using atomic explosives.

In essence, the document uses the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact as a focal point to discuss astronomical phenomena, the scientific understanding of planetary interactions, and the ongoing efforts and future necessities for planetary defense against cosmic threats. The Jain context, while suggested by the publisher and catalog link, is not explicitly present in the provided excerpt's scientific content.