Researchers using NASA's Juno spacecraft to check out Jupiter's auroras say they got lucky last spring and caught a very bright meteoroid explosion in the process.

"This bright flash stood out in the data, as it had very different spectral characteristics than the UV emissions from Jupiter's auroras," Giles explained.

The biggest smackdown ever seen on the planet was the impact from Comet Shoemaker Levy 9 in 1994, which was widely studied.

"Impacts from asteroids and comets can have a significant impact on the planet's stratospheric chemistry -- 15 years after the impact, comet Shoemaker Levy 9 was still responsible for 95 percent of the stratospheric water on Jupiter," Giles said.