AMATEUR astronomers have captured Jupiter getting hit by a mystery object in a bizarre video.
One X (formerly Twitter) user by the handle of @OASES_miyako shared the video on August 29.
X/MASA_06RAmateur astronomers have captured Jupiter getting hit by a mystery object[/caption]
In the video, we see Jupiter and then a strange object shining brightly in the top right quadrant of the screen.
The event was confirmed by other amateur astronomers on X who also reported seeing the flash.
This flash seemingly happened because the space object, likely a comet or an asteroid, hit the planet.
The incident was first detected by the Okinawa-based astronomical observation projects OASES and PONCOTS at 1.45am Japan Standard Time on Tuesday, August 29.
The teams asked Twitter users “If you were observing Jupiter around the same time, please check the shooting data again, and if you find a flash, please report it on TL or DM this account!”
Shortly after, they got a submission from the MASA Planetary Log.
“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,” the user behind the MASA Planetry log told Space.com.
“That night, when I checked the video of the corresponding time, I saw a flash,” they said.
“I was very lucky to be photographing this phenomenon when it happened.”
As the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter is often getting hit by comets and asteroids due to its strong gravitational pull.
This is only furthered by the giant planet’s close proximity to the asteroid belt.
The last recorded impact on Jupiter took place in September 2021.
In that incident, the object appeared to be a similar size to this recent one.