The comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in July of 1994. The
theory of powerful explosions in an inhomogeneous atmosphere is used t
o interpret the first observations of bursts of optical and IR emissio
n and bursts of rf emission in the decameter range accompanying the st
opping of the fragments of the comet in the Jovian atmosphere. These o
bservational results may constitute the first experimental confirmatio
n of this explosion theory. (C) 1994 American Institute of Physics.