09/14/2012

Amateur Astronomers Spot a Jupiter Explosion

Earlier this week, two amateur astronomers observing Jupiter reported a flash of light in the planet’s atmosphere. Astronomer Tony Phillips, of spaceweather.com, describes what astronomers know about the explosion, and whether an asteroid or a comet might be to blame.

Jupiter Impact Video

Jupiter Impact Video from george1895 on Flickr.

Segment Guests

Tony Phillips

Tony Phillips is an astronomer and author of Spaceweather.com. He is based in Bishop, California.

Meet the Producer

About Annette Heist

Annette Heist is a former senior producer for Science Friday.