The Collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Jupiter: IAU Colloquium 156 (Space Telescope Science Institute Symposium Series)

The spectacular collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in July 1994 was a unique event in the history of astronomy. With a year's advance warning, astronomers and planetary scientists around the world were able to coordinate an observing campaign to track the event in unprecedented detail. A year after the event, a workshop at the Space Telescope Science Institute provided the first opportunity for them to bring together their observations and foster a new understanding of the impact. In this book, the editors present fifteen invited reviews from authors selected as international leaders in the study of the impact and its aftermath. They have edited and arranged the chapters to provide a thorough and comprehensive overview of our knowledge of the event. While our understanding of the impact will evolve with future work, this book provides a solid foundation for new insights.