SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Third Jupiter Fireball Spotted
from National Geographic News
On August 20, for the third time in about a year, amateur astronomers spotted a fireball above Jupiter's atmosphere.
The discovery suggests the planet gets walloped more often than previously thought, say astronomers, some of whom are calling for a global "volunteer army" of backyard Jupiter watchers.
The recent flash follows on the heels of July 2009 and June 2010 fireballs over the gas giant planet. Astronomers speculate that the August 20 flash was caused by a relatively small meteoroid burning up completely in Jupiter's upper cloud deck.
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