Shoemaker Levy-9 Accuracy

[atomic7732]

I was just messing with the SL-9 simulation, and I let it run until fragment D collided with Jupiter. I then thoroughly tracked it's impact mark... and waited for G... D and G supposedly made this double ring shape... Now, it was close, but it didn't hit the same spot. Here's a screen.

[Dan Dixon]

The starting data for the Shoemaker-Levy 9 simulation comes straight from NASA/JPL's Horizon system. The impact marks are calculated by Universe Sandbox, but likely very similar to what happened. I haven't ever compared the impact marks simulated by Universe Sandbox to the actual photographs taken of the event, but I suspect they're similar.

What do you mean by a double ring shape?

NASA/JPL's Horizon system:
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?horizons

[atomic7732]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/SL9_BDGLNQ12R_hst19.jpg

I haven't found a good image yet, but you can see G was right on D.

http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/gif/hst24.gif