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Here's how it works. 1. News 2. Science & Astronomy Amateur astronomers spot new impact on Jupiter By Andrew Jones published 31 August 2023 This gas giant regularly absorbs hits from comets and asteroids, protecting inner solar system worlds. * * * * * * * Comments (0) An image of Jupiter in space. (Image credit: NASA) Jupiter just got smacked by a small celestial body, according to amateur astronomers. The impact occurred at 1:45 a.m. Japan Standard Time on Aug. 29 (1645 GMT on Aug. 28). An account affiliated with the Organized Autotelescopes for Serendipitous Event Survey (OASES) project and Planetary Observation Camera for Optical Transient Surveys (PONCOTS) system posted about the event on X, formerly known as Twitter, alerting of a flash observed in Jupiter's atmosphere. The post also called on observers to check their own footage. MASA Planetary Log later shared footage showing a brief burst of light coming from Jupiter that was associated with an apparent comet or asteroid impact. Another independent observation was made by a Chinese amateur astronomer in the city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, showing a flash in the same spot on Jupiter's dense, turbulent atmosphere. Related: Jupiter's lightning is strikingly similar to Earth's kinounoTLdeZhi tsutaMu Xing noShan Guang , Cuo Ying shitadetawoQue Ren shitemitaraXie tsu teimashita. ...Sheng gaChu mashita(^^;Ri Ben Shi Jian 2023Nian 8Yue 29Ri 1:45, Shi Jie Shi 28 Ri 16:45desu. https://t.co/UYhnvAmA63https://t.co/Y7nCHtJq4k pic.twitter.com/g0FerdyoVgAugust 29, 2023 See more MASA Planetary Log, an account belonging to an amateur space enthusiast who particularly enjoys planets and Earth science, told Space.com that they were shooting automatically to continuously record the surface of Jupiter. The flashes are emphasized in the videos posted to X as the brightness and color balance are automatically adjusted. "When I woke up in the morning and opened X (Twitter), I saw information that a flash had been observed on the surface of Jupiter. That night, when I checked the video of the corresponding time, I saw a flash. "I was very lucky to be photographing this phenomenon when it happened." OASES has been involved in a number of observations surrounding Jupiter impacts in recent years. The OASES Twitter account posteda high-resolution image of Jupiter at the time of the impact using data provided by amateurs. 8Yue 29Ri 1Shi 45Fen (Ri Ben Shi Jian )niMu Xing Biao Mian deFa Sheng shitaShan Guang nitsuite, Duo kuno Jie Yang karaGuan Ce Bao Gao woitadakimashita. goXie Li Gan Xie itashimasu. Xian Shi Dian ma deniamachiyuaGuan Ce Jia noJie Yang karagoTi Gong itadaitaDong Hua detawo Shi Yong shi te, Shan Guang gaFa Sheng shitaShun Jian noMu Xing noGao Jie Xiang Du Hua Xiang woZuo Cheng shimashita. pic.twitter.com/yHIp6VMUasAugust 31, 2023 See more Related Stories: -- NASA's exoplanet hunter TESS spots warm Jupiter with longest known year -- A 'captured' alien planet may be hiding at the edge of our solar system -- and it's not 'Planet X' -- Neptune's clouds have vanished, and the sun may be to blame (video) Jupiter frequently experiences cosmic collisions because of its powerful gravitational pull and proximity to the main asteroid belt. Most notably, shards of the fragmented comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in 1994, leaving lesions in the atmosphere which were visible to astronomers for months afterwards. The gas giant is considered to play a big role in protecting the inner solar system from asteroids and comets by attracting and absorbing impacts or flinging potentially dangerous objects further out into the solar system. The presence of Jupiter and Saturn in the solar system is credited with helping life on Earth flourish. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. Get the Space.com Newsletter Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! [ ][ ]Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands[ ]Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors[Sign me up] By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Social Links Navigation Contributing Writer Andrew is a freelance space journalist with a focus on reporting on China's rapidly growing space sector. He began writing for Space.com in 2019 and writes for SpaceNews, IEEE Spectrum, National Geographic, Sky & Telescope, New Scientist and others. Andrew first caught the space bug when, as a youngster, he saw Voyager images of other worlds in our solar system for the first time. Away from space, Andrew enjoys trail running in the forests of Finland. You can follow him on Twitter @AJ_FI. More about science astronomy A sort of hazy, blurred ring of light is seen against the backdrop of space. In the center of the ring is a blueish glow. James Webb Space Telescope snaps stunning view of supernova's expanding remains (photos) a large wavy-striped planet hangs in space. a star can be seen burning in the disance next to the crescent of another planet. 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