Fragment B Impact on Jupiter

From the newsgroup sci.astro:

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Subj:   Non-detection of Fragment B

We are observing at Palomar with the 200-inch Hale telescope, using
a 7.9 micron imaging spectrometer in imaging mode and a 256x256 
InSb at 2.35 microns.  We began observing with the imaging spectrometer
at around 02:35 UT and with the InSb camera at around 03:05 UT.  We
have not seen anything as of 03:55 UT.

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Subj:   Negative observations of B impact from ESO La Silla

Continuing observations with TIMMI at 9um on the 3.5m telescope
and IRAC 2B at 2.2um on the 2.2m at ESO La Silla show that nothing 
was seen over the predicted impact site B up to 3:35UT, 17 July. 
Conditions were not ideal but this is a strong indication of 
differences between the A and B impacts.

Richard West & Richard Hook, ESO Garching

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Subj:   Nondetection of B impact

We obtained a sequence of images every 10 seconds from 2:44 to about
3:25 UT, of Jupiter at 1.7 microns (till 3:12) and 2.3 microns
(thereafter), and saw nothing unusual at all on Jupiter's limb.
Predicted impact time was 2:54.  Clouds rolled in after 3:25.

John Spencer, Darren DePoy, OSIRIS, CTIO 4-meter.

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Subj:   Persistance of A and Lack of B

Observations using a NICMOS2 array and a NICMOS3 spectrometer were
obtained at approx. 0hr U.T. of the A impact site which was clearly visible
at 2.2um. A spectrum of the impact site from 2.0-2.4um at R=1600 was obtained
with the impact site clearly distinguishable from the remainder of the impact
latitude. Observations from 02:40 U.T. through 03:30 U.T. showed nothing from
the B impact site in either 2um images or spectroscopically. In other data we
have acquired after the A impact but before B we observed the H2 auroral
emission to be much weaker than in March at the same system III longitude.
   George and Marcia Rieke, Milagros Ruiz, Chad Engebracht, Pat Frawley, Dave
Wittman, Steward Observatory 90-inch, Kitt Peak

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Subj:   No B Detection

We observed Jupiter from 02:35 to 4:02 UT with 2 
narrow band filters centered at 2.22 and 2.36 microns
with a 1 - 2.5 imaging camera on the Apache Point
Observatory 3.5 m telescope.  We see no evidence
of any consequence of the B impact.  This instrument
is the second generation of the SPIREX camera at
the South Pole which reported a positive detection
of A in the same filter.

Nancy Chanover
Mark Marley
New Mexico State

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Subj:   Detection of B plume at 3 micron

Report from W. M. Keck Observatory, Mauna Kea, Hawaii: Impact B.

We observed impact B in a narrow band L band (3.27-3.44 micron); the
plume was faint, but clearly detected at the expected position,
starting at 02:56, fading at around 3:13.

Imke de Pater, James Graham, Garrett Jernigan and collaborators.

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Monitoring the H3+ ionospheric lines at 3.5 microns with CGS4 echelle
spectrometer on UKIRT, Mauna Kea, Hawaii, we saw a fivefold
brightening of the emission around the time of impact of fragment B
(around 2:50 UT) on the east limb of Jupiter.  The spectrometer slit
was approximately aligned on the nominal impact latitude.  This faded
over 90 minutes.

Steve Miller
Mary-Frances Jagod
Tom Geballe
Tim Brooke

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I'm posting this report for some folks who don't have direct access
to the Internet or Usenet newsgroups. I know that the major 
observatories have reported that the impact of fragment B wasn't 
visible, but this sounded interesting enough to post.

Mike Fulmer, Robert Rock and Larry Adams of the Auburn (Alabama)
Astronomical Society reported that they all saw a flash (maybe a 
flicker) of light off of one of Jupiter's moons (the innermost moon)
at exactly 9:49 p.m. CDT on Saturday July 16th (0249 UT, 17 July 94).

They said that they were pretty sure that the each of them had
individually seen it. The observing site was located south of
Lake Martin and a couple of miles north of Eclectic, Alabama.

Has anyone else reported this observation for fragment B?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerald G. Marfoe                 |"Mirabile visu. Mirabilia/Et itur ad astra
Internet: gmarfoe@eng.auburn.edu |... Suus cuique mos. Suum cuique.../
Auburn, AL 36830-5458            |Memento, terrigena./Memento, vita brevis."
                                 |- "Afer Ventus", Enya, "Shepherd Moons"