Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was a comet that broke apart in July 1992 and then collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of a collision between two Solar System bodies. The impact generated enormous coverage in the popular media and was closely watched by astronomers worldwide, and the resulting scars on Jupiter's atmosphere gave new information about the planet's composition and structure while highlighting Jupiter's possible role in shielding the inner Solar System from debris.
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Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (Wikipedia)
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, Wikipedia - lead section, catalogue classification
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (formally designated D/1993 F2) was a comet that broke apart in July 1992 and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects.
In Group: Short-Period Comets, Section: Discovery
was the ninth periodic comet (a comet whose orbital period is 200 years or less) discovered by Shoemaker and Levy
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