Detection of a bolide in Jupiters atmosphere with Juno UVS


Abstract in English

The UVS instrument on the Juno mission recorded transient bright emission from a point source in Jupiters atmosphere. The spectrum shows that the emission is consistent with a 9600-K blackbody located 225 km above the 1-bar level and the duration of the emission was between 17 ms and 150 s. These characteristics are consistent with a bolide in Jupiters atmosphere. Based on the energy emitted, we estimate that the impactor had a mass of 250-5000 kg, which corresponds to a diameter of 1-4 m. By considering all observations made with Juno UVS over the first 27 perijoves of the mission, we estimate an impact flux rate of 24,000 per year for impactors with masses greater than 250-5000 kg.

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