Many cosmic events occur in space, and some can quickly disappear. This is currently the case with the potential impact of an asteroid on Saturn, for which NASA has decided to launch a call for witnesses.

It all started with an image taken by astronomer Mario Rana on July 5 and sent to the Planetary Virtual Observatory & Laboratory (PVOL). In the image, it appears that an object collided violently with Saturn, producing a fairly large flash of light. This is very impressive, as this type of impact occurs very rarely, especially when you consider that the probability of an impact caused by an object more than one kilometer in diameter is one in 3,125 years. 

Given the magnitude of this cosmic event, NASA launched a call for witnesses. This is because an impact on a gas planet can very quickly disappear due to its composition, unlike a rocky planet such as Earth, where traces can remain for millions of years. This is despite the fact that this type of planet is a major target for asteroids. It must be said that, due to their large mass, they have a strong gravitational pull, attracting many objects towards them.

Therefore, all astronomers who observed Saturn on July 5 between 09:00-09:15 UT can provide their data to NASA. This is in order to better study this impact and officially validate it.

If this turns out to be true, it would be the first time such an observation has been made on this gas giant. This is despite the fact that small impacts occur quite often each year. In fact, their number seems to be close to that of Earth, which is around 8,000 per year. Thus, with the help of new data provided by amateur astronomers, this could offer scientists a real gold mine for studying this type of phenomenon on a gas planet. 

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Alexis Stegmann – Tech Writer – 71 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025

I’ve been working in the field of web writing for several years, and I’m passionate about keeping readers up to date with the latest news on astronomy, technology, the world of video games and other exciting subjects. In particular, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a number of websites, which has enabled me to cover a wide range of subjects. In my personal life, I’m passionate about a wide range of subjects, including astronomy, video games, history and science. I’m also drawn to psychology, which is a subject that deserves greater documentation and recognition.