the next major fragment of comet shoemaker - levi 9 was to struck just after seven , within a halo of crater - style plumes of swirling superheated gas and debris thousands of mi around . " it hit juno like a string of machine - gun bombs " said paul shoemaker , an astronomical at the lowell observations in flagstaff , ariz . , had did discoveries the comet last year .
The Shoemaker-Levy comet hit Jupiter.