The Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts
In 1994, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was sucked into Jupiter and caused quite the spectacle. Prior to the impacts, I expected little to be seen through the telescope. My first inkling that I was wrong happened when the Central Florida Astronomical Society held a public skywatch a day or two after impact. When I set up my 10" SCT, I looked through the eyepiece and thought there was a double moon transit occurring. Suddenly, I realized we could easily see the impact marks. For several weeks, the comet impacts were easily visible and I attempted to photograph the marks. Unfortunately, I was not very successful and the best I could do is the image below. Too bad it was not ten years later when the digital technology was readily available to image such and event.