Shoemaker-Levy 9 , was found on the night of March 24 , 1993 , in a photograph taken with the 40 c Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California . At the time it had been captured by Jupiter , and was orbiting around the planet . Shoemaker-Levy 9 , at the time captured by and orbiting Jupiter , was located on the night of March 24 , 1993 , in a photograph taken with the 40 c Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California .