The Planet Jupiter in Danger? Astronomer Captures Massive Explosion on Planet Surface (Video)

Some people are just luckier than others, like winning $50,000 on a slot machine or capturing a never-before-seen astrological phenomenon. A Dallas man named George Hall knows what that's like. The amateur astronomer was using his high-powered telescope to observe the planet Jupiter, when he caught a massive explosion on the surface of the planet.

Hall has a high-powered telescope that he uses to look at the stars. It's about the size of a Volkswagen. The massive scope, which he has had for about ten years, captured a phenomenon that has the world of astronomy talking. This is a strange occurrence on its own, but happening so close to the purported end-of-the-world on December 21st, 2012, is hopefully just coincidence.

Astronomers aren't exactly sure what Hall's telescope caught. It could have been a meteor or a comet hitting the planet. You can see the impact, and a white flare from the explosion for about two seconds. This might make you wonder what else sky-watchers would catch if they observed Jupiter more often, and you would be right. Astronomer Don Garland said that there are always things crashing into Jupiter, but hardly ever are they captured on video. So, no sign of the end of the world then.

George Hall has the only video of the event on the surface of the planet Jupiter, and he posted it online for all to see. The video, which is on Flickr.com, has already gotten over 600,000 views.

Gabriel Legend covers a wide range of breaking news for Gather. He writes fiction as well, with his first novel coming out in 2013. You can follow on Twitter at @GabrielLegend1 or contact him directly here.

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