Table of Contents

Background Material for Science Teachers JULY 1994 -- Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides with Jupiter

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in July 1994. From this historic event, scientists learned more about comets, Jupiter, and the physics of high velocity planetary impacts.

Introduction:

Main Contents:

1. What Is a Comet?

2. The Motion of Comets

3. The Fragmentation of Comets

4. The Discovery and Early Study of Shoemaker-Levy 9

5. The Planet Jupiter

Appendices:

A. Comparative Tables

B. The K-T Event

C. The Probability of Collisions with Earth

Acknowledgments

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