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The Planetary Report • November/December 1994
The Crash at Last!
On the Cover: This infrared image of Jupiter was captured on July 18, 1994, with the 10-meter Keck telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. At lower left, the bright plume from the impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's fragment G rises above the planet's eastern limb. This picture was taken about 10 minutes after the predicted time of impact. In this false-color image, yellow represents the hottest areas, and blue, the coolest. In subsequent shots, this plume brightened to outshine the planet and render it invisible next to the extreme glare of the plume.
Features
4 NASA Today, and a Vision for Tomorrow: NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin has proposed a new purpose for the space agency: the search for planets like Earth.
8 The Crash at Last: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides With Jupiter: Keith Noll begins our coverage of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 saga.
14 Live From Other Worlds: A Pilot Electronic Field Trip: Geoff Haines-Stiles tells the story of a project that melds computers, classrooms, and space technology.
15 Watching Jupiter Worldwide: Susan Lendroth and Carlos Populus share some of the highlights of our Jupiter Watch! program, and look forward to continuing our watch as Galileo approaches the giant planet.
Departments
3 Members' Dialogue Planetary protection, and the Pluto Fast Flyby Mission.
16 News & Reviews Scientific American's provocative article on life in the universe.
17 World Watch The growing Japanese planetary program.
18 Readers' Service Sample the universe through books or CD-ROMs.
19 Society News Keep up with the latest Society events!
20 Q&A The effects of gravity in space, seasons, and flight times to the closest star.
The Planetary Report • November/December 1994
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