Disintegration Phenomena Expected During Collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter

In July 1994, periodic comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 is expected to collide with Jupiter. The largest fragments of the comet's original nucleus will be tidally disrupted shortly before they enter the Jovian atmosphere, and all fragments, from large rocks to small grains, will suffer ablation and disintegration as a result of interaction with the atmosphere. Even if atmospheric entry takes place on the planet's far side, secondary phenomena triggered by the terminal explosions of kilometer-sized fragments are likely to be observable from the Earth.