Amateur astronomer Mario Rana has published images showing a mysterious flash on Saturn. It could be caused by a collision between a gas giant and an asteroid or comet.
The incident occurred on July 5, 2025. Mario Rana was photographing Saturn and captured something that looked like a bright flash near the planet’s limb. The DeTeCt program he used recorded it at 5:07:56 EDT (9:07:56 UTC).
Currently, astronomers from various organizations are searching for additional images taken at that time to determine whether anyone else managed to capture the flash. If confirmed, this will be the first time scientists have managed to capture the moment a celestial body falls onto Saturn.
The planets of the Solar System are regularly bombarded by small bodies. The most obvious proof of this is the crater-covered Moon. However, asteroids and comets fall not only on rocky planets, but also on gas giants. According to scientists’ estimates, Saturn experiences seven to eight collisions every year.
However, in the case of gas giants, detecting such impacts is much more difficult, as their atmospheres quickly conceal all traces. The DeTeCt project, of which Mario Rana is a member, is searching for flashes on Jupiter and Saturn that may be caused by falling celestial bodies. If the collision can be confirmed, it will be a major breakthrough. Previously, astronomers had only been able to observe celestial bodies falling onto Jupiter, such as the bombardment by fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
According to Earthsky
