NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has imaged a coiled galaxy with an eye-like object at its center, shown in this photograph released by NASA July 23, 2009. (AP Photo)
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is offering a glimpse of atmospheric debris from an object that plunged into Jupiter in a rare collision with the planet.
Scientists used the telescope Thursday to capture what they call the "sharpest visible-light picture" so far of the expanding gash. An amateur stargazer in Australia spotted the impression last Sunday.
Amy Simon-Miller of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., says the magnitude of the impact is believed to be rare. Simon-Miller estimates the diameter of the object that hit the planet was the size of several football fields.
The debris possibly came from a comet or asteroid that hit Jupiter.
NASA also says the new images prove repairs done on the Hubble in May were successful.
(Agencies)
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