PHOTO RELEASE NO.:  STScI-PR94-30       FOR RELEASE: July 17, 1994


HUBBLE SEES COMET FIREBALL ON LIMB OF JUPITER


This sequence of images showing evidence for a plume near the
terminator of Jupiter at the time of the A impact.  A bright feature
appears 1000-1500 km above the limb of Jupiter at 20:18:17 in the
953 nm filter.  (An image at 20:15:17 did not show a detached
feature.)  A possible interpretation is that the feature is made visible
by reflected sunlight, and that the apparent detachment is due to the
shadow of Jupiter on the plume.  During the temporal sequence from
top to bottom, spreading of the feature is clearly resolved.  The
feature is visible at wavelengths ranging from the ultraviolet through
the near infrared.

      Credit: H. Hammel, MIT
           and NASA