Watch: Astronomer Captures Bright Flash In Jupiter's Atmosphere

This flash one of the brightest ever recorded on the giant gas planet, was observed last month.

An amateur Japanese astronomer Tadao Ohsugi spotted a bright flash in Jupiter's atmosphere. This flash one of the brightest ever recorded on the giant gas planet, was observed last month. A fireball observed on Jupiter, captured by amateur astronomer Tadao Ohsugi last month.🪐💫A Fireball Whacked Into Jupiter, and Astronomers Got It on Video. In August, stargazers in Japan recorded a bright flash on the giant gas planet. كرة نارية شوهدت على كوكب المشتري، التقطها. pic.twitter.com/FpqnW7KikB

According to a New York Times report, the astronomer sent an email to Dr. Ko Arimatsu, an astronomer at Kyoto University. Upon receiving the email, Dr. Arimatsu put a call out for more information. The media report said that flashes like these are caused by asteroids or comets from the edges of our solar system that impact Jupiter's atmosphere.

Dr. Arimatsu received six more reports of the August 28 flash. Dr. Arimatsu told NYT, "Direct observation of these bodies is virtually impossible, even with advanced telescopes," Dr. Arimatsu wrote in an email. But Jupiter's gravity lures in these objects, which eventually slam into the planet, "making it a unique and invaluable tool for studying them directly."