Final answer:
Jupiter's rings were first discovered by the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1979, with further studies conducted by the Galileo spacecraft upon its arrival in 1995. The impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 in 1994 offered additional insights into the ring system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rings of Jupiter were discovered in 1979 by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. Although the Galileo spacecraft, launched in 1989, provided more detailed observations upon its arrival at Jupiter in 1995, it was the Voyager mission that first detected the faint ring system surrounding the gas giant. Not as prominent as Saturn's rings, Jupiter's rings are composed primarily of dust rather than ice and were an unexpected find.
The impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in 1994, which was observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, also contributed to our understanding of the Jovian ring system. The dark rings produced by the comet's impact and later integrations provided scientists with additional information about the composition and behavior of Jupiter's rings.