REDDING (Calif.) A Brazilian man captured an extraordinary astronomical event that was unpredicted.
Jos Luis Pereira, an Astrophotographer from So Paulo, was filming and taking photos of Jupiter when he saw a bright white flash. It was most likely a huge rock that crashed into Jupiter's colorful atmosphere.
Pereira stated that the weather was cloudy and that he didn't expect to capture much footage on the night. This statement was sent to the Redding Record Searchlight of USA TODAY Network. Only Jupiter was visible. I had considered disassembling the cameras and telescope, but decided to wait.
Pereira did not realize that he had filmed the crash until the morning, when he looked at his video.
It was a time of great emotion for me. I have been searching for a record of the event for many years.
Jupiter shines brightly this summer. It was visible through the wildfire smoke and haze over northern California for many nights in August and September.
Pereira's Facebook page is filled with photos of the largest planet in the solar system. Pereira plans to add more videos and pictures this month.
Pereira stated that I am a diligent planetary observer. When Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter are in opposition, I make sure to take images every night when the skies are clear.
Jupiter can also be seen
On clear nights this week, you can see massive Jupiter at a distance of 484,000,000 miles from the sun and 378 million miles away from Earth.
After sundown, turn your attention to the southeast and then to the east. This will allow you to see the Earth "rise" from the east, "flying" towards the southwest, as it rotates.
Do not let the bright dot fool your eyes. Jupiter is twice as big as all the other planets.
Continue the story
NASA claims that if Earth was the same size as a nickel, Jupiter would almost be as large as a basketball.
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This article first appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Jupiter Explosion captured on video by an astrophotographer from Brazil
