NEAR-IR SPECTROSCOPY OF JUPITER AT THE TIME OF COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY-9 IMPACTS - EMISSIONS OF CH4, H-3(+) AND H-2

Near-infrared emissions of the SL9 impact sites of Jupiter have been recorded on July 16-18, 1994, at ESO (La Silla, Chile). A very strong emission of methane was recorded between 3.50 and 3.56 mu m, shortly after impact H, showing evidence for a temporary increase of the Jovian stratospheric temperature. Emissions of H-2 (2.12 mu m) and H-3(+) (3.53 mu m) were also detected above some of the impact sites, several hours after the impacts. The observed H-3(+) emissions, however, seem to be at least partly contaminated by the southern aurora. A strong continuum was also detected at 2.12 mu m dyer most of the impact sites, presumably due to intense scattering of reflected sunlight by stratospheric haze.