Impact Jupiter

The encounter of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (S-L9) with Jupiter in July 1994 furnished the first modern scientific observations of a spectacular planetary collision. Astronomer Levy (The Quest for Comets), codiscoverer of S-L9, gives a blow-by-blow description of the discovery of the comet, its orbit and fragmentation, observations of its impacts and current understanding of the data. Along the way, distributing credits broadly, he furnishes general background and copious down-to- earth anecdotes of the daily practice of astronomical research. A sidelight is the revolutionary development of rapid sharing of science work via the Internet. The story, illustrated with color and black-and-white photos, is impressively documented, and the details are presented in clear language, with an enthusiastic yet lighthearted tone that sustains reader interest when the chatty narrative hops around. Levy's account is a definitive memoir of the unfolding of the S-L9 episode, potentially engrossing for anyone at all interested in astronomy. (Nov.)