Shoemaker-Levy 9

Shoemaker-Levy 9
Costs
Initial Cost	Stardust 2.72e28
Initial production	Stardust 1.95e25
Time of production	34 s
Universe info
Bubble Universe	Beyond
Previous	Pluto
Next	Halley's Comet
Traits
Speed	Jupiter Collision
Payout	Scarred Red Spot

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (cometary designation: D/1993 F2) is the 22nd Celestial Body and the 1st Comet object obtained in The Beyond Bubble Universe, which can generate Stardust. (Unlocked at Rank 10)

In-Game Description

"Discovered circling Jupiter in 1993, Shoemaker—Levy 9 was the first comet to be observed orbiting a planet. When it collided with Jupiter in 1994, it became the first comet ever to be observed crashing into a planet's surface."

Traits

Common

• Jupiter Collision (Speed):

"After being pulled into orbit of Jupiter, Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 broke apart in 1992 and collided with the gas giant in 1994. This was the first time humans were able to observe an extraterrestrial collision."

• Scarred Red Spot (Payout):

"When Shoemaker–Levy 9 crashed into the surface of Jupiter, it left marks. Scars were visible on the planet for months after the impact, especially in the Great Red Spot where much of the debris landed."

Rare

• Comets (Payout):

"Comets are small, icy bodies that orbit the Sun and are sometimes visible from Earth. As they get closer to the Sun, the Sun’s heat causes them to release gases that form a cloudy aura or tail."

Epic

• Speed of Light (Speed):

"The speed of light is the rate at which light and all massless particles travel through a vacuum. While it can seem instantaneous from up close, over long distances this speed limit becomes very noticeable. The theory of relativity relates to the speed of light."

• Cosmic Gravity (Payout):

"Gravity is one of the fundamental forces and key to understanding how the universe works. Using Newton’s principles, astronomers can explain how stars and planets form, predict their mass and motion, and infer the existence of dark matter."

• Goldilocks Zone (Discount):

"The Goldilocks Zone, also called the Habitable Zone, is the region around a star with conditions necessary for a planet that can sustain life. Planets like Earth, with surface water and breathable atmospheres, might be found in these zones in other systems."

Constellations

• Scorpio (1.5x Speed):

"One of the brightest constellations in the sky, Scorpio represents a scorpion. It includes the red star Antares, sometimes called the “heart of the scorpion” because of its placement and color."

• Virgo (2x Speed):

"Virgo, the virgin, is the home of the Virgo Cluster. This constellation contains the galaxy M87, the home of the first supermassive black hole ever photographed by humans."

Fragments

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke apart into 21 fragments due to a close encounter with Jupiter in 1992.

Achievements

• Carolyn's Comets (Rank 5):

"Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker, two of the three discoverers of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9, were a married couple who were both astronomers. Carolyn once held the record for the most comets discovered by an individual."

• Cleaning House (Rank 8):

"Jupiter is what some astronomers call a “cosmic vacuum cleaner.” Its rate of impacts from comets like Shoemaker–Levy 9 and other objects caught in its immense gravity is up to 8,000 times that of Earth."

Real Image and Symbol

A red light image of Shoemaker–Levy 9 taken in 1994 by the Hubble Space Telescope

Impact sites of some cometary fragments on Jupiter in 1994. Imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope

Sources

• Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 — Real images taken
• Orbit Viewer (NASA) — List of fragments screenshoted