Bumpin' Jupiter! Amateur Astronomer Behind Big Find

Casey Kasem was on to something when he'd advise listeners at the end of his American Top 40 broadcast to keep reaching for the stars. The evidence of impact on the planet Jupiter that had astronomers and headlines abuzz this week was first detected by a guy in his backyard.

Tonic recently highlighted the findings of 14-year-old Caroline Moore, a sharp young stargazer who turned out to have discovered a supernova the rest of the astronomic community had missed, making her the youngest supernova finder ever.

Today, The Independent reports that the detection of the strange, new spot on the surface of Jupiter — which scientists have determined to be the result of an impact leaving a dark spot the approximate size of earth —  was first spotted by Australian Anthony Wesley.

A self-described Jupiterphile, Wesley was having a nighttime peek at his favorite celestial subject when something seemed amiss. Cross referencing his observation of a dark spot in the wee hours this past Sunday with his photographs previously taken of the same spot on Jupiter confirmed that he may have found something unusual indeed.

The next step was to fire off some emails to NASA and other outposts in the professional astronomical community. Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in California were subsequently able to confirm Wesley's discovery.

It's one more reminder that the expansion of our knowledge of our world and other worlds isn't strictly left to the experts. We all have the power to combine curiosity with effort — and perhaps a dash of good luck--to bring something new into light.

Photo courtesy of Cassini orbiter, NASA.