Jupiter hit by comet?

Astronomers say Jupiter has apparently been struck by an object, possibly a comet. Images taken by Nasa show an Earth-sized scar in the atmosphere near the south pole of the gas giant. The images, taken by the US space agency's infrared telescope in Hawaii, come on the 15th anniversary of another comet strike.
In 1994, Jupiter was bombarded by pieces of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. Scientists at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, captured the new images after receiving a tip from an Australian amateur astronomer, Anthony Wesley, on the night before.

"We were extremely lucky to be seeing Jupiter at exactly the right time, the right hour, the right side of Jupiter to witness the event. We couldn't have planned it better," JPL scientist Glenn Orton said in a statement released by the lab. Orton said the event "could be the impact of a comet, but we don't know for sure yet."



This image released by Nasa/JPL shows a large impact on Jupiter's south polar region captured by Nasa's Infrared Telescope Facility in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Astronomers say Jupiter has apparently been struck by an object, possibly a comet, leaving an Earth-sized scar on the giant planet. The images also show bright upwelling particles in the atmosphere, detected in near-infrared wavelengths, as well as a warming of the upper troposphere with possible extra emission from ammonia gas detected at mid-infrared wavelengths.


We thought we would post this news on our blog as it will no doubt have many 2012ers and doomcryers somehow relating this event to Nibiru, especially via YouTube. It's just the way these people work unfortunately.

David Morrison, NAI Senior Scientist on Nibiru

We come across alot of posts and questions from people who are genuinely scared to death of this whole Nibiru nonsense that people like Marshall Masters of YOWUSA.com spew forth. David Morrison, a Senior Scientist from NASA has answered alot of questions on the Nibiru hoax. Below is just one of many questions that have been submitted to him on his Ask an Astrobiologist web page.

Question: Is there a planet Nibiru that will pretty much destroy earth in 2012? I watched a video about it last night and I freaked out so bad i was shaking and crying. Is our world coming to an end in 2012? If so... why cant we just blow the thing up and call it a day?

David Morrison: I am really sorry that these crazy Nibiru claims have upset you. I don't want to keep answering these questions about Nibiru, but let me say once more as clearly as I can, for you and the other questioners: Nibiru does not exist. NASA has never discovered or detected Nibiru or anything remotely like it. The handful of dwarf planets that astronomers have discovered beyond Neptune are on stable orbits that will never come into the inner solar system, let alone threaten Earth. Nothing will happen in 2012. Nibiru is simply a fake, a hoax, the result of a small religious cult that is unfortunately scaring lots of people with totally false stories.
David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
January 31, 2008

Well said David, these people are nothing more than cultists who are out for moneytary gain and gathering a whole bunch of weak minded individuals who they brainwash into believing their nonsense.