Final answer:
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke into approximately 20 fragments when passing close to Jupiter and was captured in orbit around the planet, before ultimately colliding with Jupiter in July 1994, causing massive explosions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before the shoemaker Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter, it experienced a catastrophic breakup into about 20 pieces as it passed close to Jupiter in July 1992. These fragments were then captured into a very elongated, two-year orbit around the planet, temporarily adding to Jupiter's collection of moons. However, in July 1994, all these fragments collided with Jupiter, releasing energy equivalent to millions of megatons of TNT. As each fragment entered Jupiter's atmosphere at 60 kilometers per second, it disintegrated and exploded, creating hot fireballs that were visible with infrared-sensitive telescopes.