Take your seat for the Moon Bomb--Oct 9

[Guest guest]

and don't forget the popcorn....

 

seriously---are we there yet? How much more of this idiocy are we going to take?

 

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm?list130596

 

 

 

 

 

LCROSS Viewer's Guide

10.05.2009

 

 

 

+ Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list

October 5, 2009: Just imagine. A spaceship plunges out of the night sky, hits the ground and explodes. A plume of debris billows back into the heavens, leading your eye to a second ship in hot pursuit. Four minutes later, that one hits the ground, too. It's raining spaceships!

Put on your hard hat and get ready for action, because on Friday, Oct. 9th, what you just imagined is really going to happen--and you can have a front row seat.

Right: A computer visualization of LCROSS hitting the Moon on Oct. 9th. Credit: NASA/Ames

The impact site is crater Cabeus near the Moon's south pole. NASA is guiding the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite ("LCROSS" for short) and its Centaur booster rocket into the crater's floor for a spectacular double-impact designed to "unearth" signs of lunar water.

There are two ways to watch the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery First, turn on NASA TV. The space agency will broadcast the action live from the Moon, with coverage beginning Friday morning at 3:15 am PDT (10:15 UT). The first hour or so, pre-impact, will offer expert commentary, status reports from mission control, camera views from the spacecraft, and telemetry-based animations.

The actual impacts commence at 4:30 am PDT (11:30 UT). The Centaur rocket will strike first, transforming 2200 kg of mass and 10 billion joules of kinetic energy into a blinding flash of heat and light. Researchers expect the impact to throw up a plume of debris as high as 10 km.

Close behind, the LCROSS mothership will photograph the collision for NASA TV and then fly right through the debris plume. Onboard spectrometers will analyze the sunlit plume for signs of water (H2O), water fragments (OH), salts, clays, hydrated minerals and assorted organic molecules.

"If there's water there, or anything else interesting, we'll find it," says Tony Colaprete of NASA Ames, the mission's principal investigator.

 

Above: The lunar south pole as it will appear on the night of impact. Photo Credit - NMSU / MSFC Tortugas Observatory. [larger image]

Next comes the mothership's own plunge. Four minutes after the Centaur "lands," the 700 kg LCROSS satellite will strike nearby, sending another, smaller debris plume over the rim of Cabeus.

The Hubble Space Telescope, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and hundreds of telescopes great and small on Earth will scrutinize the two plumes, looking for signs of water and the unexpected.

And that brings us to the second way to see the show: Grab your telescope.

"We expect the debris plumes to be visible through mid-sized backyard telescopes—10 inches and larger," says Brian Day of NASA/Ames. Day is an amateur astronomer and the Education and Public Outreach Lead for LCROSS. "The initial explosions will probably be hidden behind crater walls, but the plumes will rise high enough above the crater's rim to be seen from Earth."

The Pacific Ocean and western parts of North America are favored with darkness and a good view of the Moon at the time of impact. Hawaii is the best place to be, with Pacific coast states of the USA a close second. Any place west of the Mississippi River, however, is a potential observing site.

Right: The side of Earth facing the Moon at the time of impact. [larger image] [observing tips]

When the plumes emerge from Cabeus, they will be illuminated by sunshine streaming over the polar terrain. The crater itself will be in the dark, however, permanently shadowed by its own walls. "That's good," says Day. "The crater's shadows will provide a dark backdrop for viewing the sunlit plumes."

In an earlier stage of mission planning, scientists hoped to strike a crater closer to the Moon's limb so that the plumes would billow out against the dark night sky, providing maximum contrast for observers on Earth. However, recent data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Japan's Kaguya spacecraft and India's Chandrayaan-1 probe altered those plans.

"We've just learned that Cabeus may contain relatively-rich deposits of hydrogen and/or frozen water," says Colaprete. "Cabeus is not as close to the lunar limb as we would have liked, but it seems to offer us the best chance of hitting H2O."

The LCROSS team hopes many people—amateurs and professionals alike—will observe and photograph the plumes. "The more eyes the better," says Day. "Remember, we've never done this before. We're not 100% sure what will happen, and big surprises are possible."

Right: Click on the image to find a public viewing event near your hometown. [more]

Veteran amateur astronomer Kurt Fisher has prepared a 13 MB slideshow to help fellow amateurs locate and witness the plumes: download it . There is also an online LCROSS observer's group where novices can read introductory articles and chat with other observers.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for citizen scientists to join NASA in the process of discovery," says Day, who urges observers to submit their images to the LCROSS Citizen Science Site. "It's a great adventure, and anyone can participate."

Imagine that.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

 

 

 

more information

 

 

NASA TV -- watch the impacts on line! LCROSS Photographed by Backyard Astronomers -- (Science@NASA) School Kids Track LCROSS -- (Science@NASA) NASA's Impact Party Toolkit LCROSS Home Page -- (NASA/HQ) LCROSS Mission Page -- (NASA/Ames)

The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for Get it Now for Free!

[Guest guest]

At 06:05 AM 6/10/2009, you wrote:

 

and don't forget the

popcorn....

 

seriously---are we there yet? How much more of this idiocy are we going

to take?

 

 

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm?list130596

 

I am wondering if we will see world wide chemtrails on that day, in a

fashion we have not seen before and that the 'bombing' event is used to

unleashed the reinforced flu virus. The big vaccination

program is due to get started on Friday as well, flumist and all..

Just thinking out aloud.........

 

 

avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.

Virus Database (VPS): 091004-0, 04/10/2009Tested on: 6/10/2009 10:55:04 AMavast! - copyright © 1988-2009 ALWIL Software.

[Guest guest]

Lordy who knows anymore....we actually had a few days off this fall after a summer of daily massive spraying---was really nice to see real blue skies....

 

re the vaccinations starting---can you send me info on that? As we know flumist actually spreads the virus---so we have to keep an eye in the progress...

 

up here in Canada we don't start till November---or so they say---but we get GSK with adjuvants....

 

May the force be with us all!!!--- On Mon, 10/5/09, Hanneke <blosshan wrote:

Hanneke <blosshanRe: Take your seat for the Moon Bomb--Oct 9 Received: Monday, October 5, 2009, 5:25 PM

At 06:05 AM 6/10/2009, you wrote:

and don't forget the popcorn.... seriously--- are we there yet? How much more of this idiocy are we going to take? http://science. nasa.gov/ headlines/ y2009/05oct_ lcrossvg. htm?list130596 I am wondering if we will see world wide chemtrails on that day, in a fashion we have not seen before and that the 'bombing' event is used to unleashed the reinforced flu virus. The big vaccination program is due to get started on Friday as well, flumist and all..Just thinking out aloud....... ..

 

 

avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 091004-0, 04/10/2009Tested on: 6/10/2009 10:55:04 AMavast! - copyright © 1988-2009 ALWIL Software.

 

 

Make your browsing faster, safer, and easier with the new Internet Explorer® 8. Optimized for Get it Now for Free!

[Guest guest]

While these ventures are costly and seem of little value, you would be amazed at the advances that may come out of exploratory missions and even war, Since we are not able to understand the cutting edge of science we can't understand the potential value of such missions. The problem we (the US) have is that we so readily share our secrets with other nations that we lose our lead in bringing these discoveries to the practical stage.--- On Mon, 10/5/09, Bea Bernhausen <beabernhausen wrote:

Bea Bernhausen <beabernhausen Take your seat for the Moon Bomb--Oct 9think-outside-the-box Date: Monday, October 5, 2009, 3:35 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

and don't forget the popcorn....

 

seriously---are we there yet? How much more of this idiocy are we going to take?

 

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm?list130596

 

 

 

 

 

LCROSS Viewer's Guide

10.05.2009

 

 

 

+ Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list

 

October 5, 2009: Just imagine. A spaceship plunges out of the night sky, hits the ground and explodes. A plume of debris billows back into the heavens, leading your eye to a second ship in hot pursuit. Four minutes later, that one hits the ground, too. It's raining spaceships!

Put on your hard hat and get ready for action, because on Friday, Oct. 9th, what you just imagined is really going to happen--and you can have a front row seat.

Right: A computer visualization of LCROSS hitting the Moon on Oct. 9th. Credit: NASA/Ames The impact site is crater Cabeus near the Moon's south pole. NASA is guiding the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite ("LCROSS" for short) and its Centaur booster rocket into the crater's floor for a spectacular double-impact designed to "unearth" signs of lunar water.

There are two ways to watch the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery First, turn on NASA TV. The space agency will broadcast the action live from the Moon, with coverage beginning Friday morning at 3:15 am PDT (10:15 UT).. The first hour or so, pre-impact, will offer expert commentary, status reports from mission control, camera views from the spacecraft, and telemetry-based animations.

The actual impacts commence at 4:30 am PDT (11:30 UT). The Centaur rocket will strike first, transforming 2200 kg of mass and 10 billion joules of kinetic energy into a blinding flash of heat and light. Researchers expect the impact to throw up a plume of debris as high as 10 km.

Close behind, the LCROSS mothership will photograph the collision for NASA TV and then fly right through the debris plume. Onboard spectrometers will analyze the sunlit plume for signs of water (H2O), water fragments (OH), salts, clays, hydrated minerals and assorted organic molecules.

"If there's water there, or anything else interesting, we'll find it," says Tony Colaprete of NASA Ames, the mission's principal investigator.

 

Above: The lunar south pole as it will appear on the night of impact. Photo Credit - NMSU / MSFC Tortugas Observatory. [larger image] Next comes the mothership's own plunge. Four minutes after the Centaur "lands," the 700 kg LCROSS satellite will strike nearby, sending another, smaller debris plume over the rim of Cabeus.

The Hubble Space Telescope, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and hundreds of telescopes great and small on Earth will scrutinize the two plumes, looking for signs of water and the unexpected.

And that brings us to the second way to see the show: Grab your telescope.

"We expect the debris plumes to be visible through mid-sized backyard telescopesâ€â€10 inches and larger," says Brian Day of NASA/Ames. Day is an amateur astronomer and the Education and Public Outreach Lead for LCROSS. "The initial explosions will probably be hidden behind crater walls, but the plumes will rise high enough above the crater's rim to be seen from Earth."

The Pacific Ocean and western parts of North America are favored with darkness and a good view of the Moon at the time of impact. Hawaii is the best place to be, with Pacific coast states of the USA a close second. Any place west of the Mississippi River, however, is a potential observing site.

Right: The side of Earth facing the Moon at the time of impact. [larger image] [observing tips] When the plumes emerge from Cabeus, they will be illuminated by sunshine streaming over the polar terrain. The crater itself will be in the dark, however, permanently shadowed by its own walls. "That's good," says Day. "The crater's shadows will provide a dark backdrop for viewing the sunlit plumes."

In an earlier stage of mission planning, scientists hoped to strike a crater closer to the Moon's limb so that the plumes would billow out against the dark night sky, providing maximum contrast for observers on Earth. However, recent data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Japan's Kaguya spacecraft and India's Chandrayaan-1 probe altered those plans.

"We've just learned that Cabeus may contain relatively-rich deposits of hydrogen and/or frozen water," says Colaprete. "Cabeus is not as close to the lunar limb as we would have liked, but it seems to offer us the best chance of hitting H2O."

The LCROSS team hopes many peopleâ€â€amateurs and professionals alikeâ€â€will observe and photograph the plumes. "The more eyes the better," says Day. "Remember, we've never done this before. We're not 100% sure what will happen, and big surprises are possible."

Right: Click on the image to find a public viewing event near your hometown. [more] Veteran amateur astronomer Kurt Fisher has prepared a 13 MB slideshow to help fellow amateurs locate and witness the plumes: download it . There is also an online LCROSS observer's group where novices can read introductory articles and chat with other observers.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for citizen scientists to join NASA in the process of discovery," says Day, who urges observers to submit their images to the LCROSS Citizen Science Site. "It's a great adventure, and anyone can participate."

Imagine that.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

 

 

 

more information

 

 

NASA TV -- watch the impacts on line! LCROSS Photographed by Backyard Astronomers -- (Science@NASA) School Kids Track LCROSS -- (Science@NASA) NASA's Impact Party Toolkit LCROSS Home Page -- (NASA/HQ) LCROSS Mission Page -- (NASA/Ames)

 

The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for Get it Now for Free!

[Guest guest]

I wished I could be so trusting and find an excuse for sharing a

secret by the government. In my experience, the government

does nothing without a reason.. As I said, not a trusting person

here

At 01:58 PM 6/10/2009, you wrote:

 

While these ventures are costly

and seem of little value, you would be amazed at the advances that may

come out of exploratory missions and even war, Since we are not

able to understand the cutting edge of science we can't understand the

potential value of such missions. The problem we (the US) have is

that we so readily share our secrets with other nations that we lose our

lead in bringing these discoveries to the practical stage.

--- On Mon, 10/5/09, Bea Bernhausen

<beabernhausen wrote:

 

Bea Bernhausen <beabernhausen

Take your seat for the Moon Bomb--Oct

9

think-outside-the-box

Monday, October 5, 2009, 3:35 PM

 

and don't forget the popcorn....

 

seriously---are we there yet? How much more of this idiocy are we

going to take?

 

 

 

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm?list130596

 

LCROSS Viewer's Guide

 

10.05.2009

 

 

 

+ Play Audio |

 

+ Download Audio |

+ Email to

a friend | +

Join mailing list

 

October 5, 2009: Just imagine. A

spaceship plunges out of the night sky, hits the ground and explodes. A

plume of debris billows back into the heavens, leading your eye to a

second ship in hot pursuit. Four minutes later, that one hits the ground,

too. It's raining spaceships!

 

 

 

Put on your hard hat and get ready for action, because on Friday,

Oct. 9th, what you just imagined is really going to happen--and you can

have a front row seat.

Right: A computer visualization of

LCROSS hitting the Moon on Oct. 9th. Credit: NASA/Ames

The impact site is crater Cabeus near the

Moon's south pole. NASA is guiding the Lunar Crater Observation and

Sensing Satellite ( " LCROSS " for short) and its Centaur booster

rocket into the crater's floor for a spectacular double-impact designed

to " unearth " signs of lunar water.

There are two ways to watch the show.

 

 

 

 

 

Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery

 

First, turn on

NASA TV. The space agency will

broadcast the action live from the Moon, with coverage beginning Friday

morning at 3:15 am PDT (10:15 UT).. The first hour or so, pre-impact,

will offer expert commentary, status reports from mission control, camera

views from the spacecraft, and telemetry-based animations.

The actual impacts commence at 4:30 am

PDT (11:30 UT). The Centaur rocket will strike first, transforming 2200

kg of mass and 10 billion joules of kinetic energy into a blinding flash

of heat and light. Researchers expect the impact to throw up a plume of

debris as high as 10 km.

Close behind, the LCROSS mothership will

photograph the collision for NASA TV and then fly right through the

debris plume. Onboard spectrometers will analyze the sunlit plume for

signs of water (H2O), water fragments (OH), salts, clays, hydrated

minerals and assorted organic molecules.

" If there's water there, or anything else interesting, we'll

find it, " says Tony Colaprete of NASA Ames, the mission's principal

investigator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: The lunar south pole as it

will appear on the night of impact. Photo Credit - NMSU / MSFC Tortugas

Observatory.

[

larger image]

Next comes the mothership's own plunge.

Four minutes after the Centaur " lands, " the 700 kg LCROSS

satellite will strike nearby, sending another, smaller debris plume over

the rim of Cabeus.

The Hubble Space Telescope, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO),

and hundreds of telescopes great and small on Earth will scrutinize the

two plumes, looking for signs of water and the unexpected.

And that brings us to the second way to see the show: Grab your

telescope.

" We expect the debris plumes to be visible through mid-sized

backyard telescopesâ€â€10 inches and larger, " says Brian Day of

NASA/Ames. Daay is an amateur astronomer and the Education and Public

Outreach Lead for LCROSS. " The initial explosions will probably be

hidden behind crater walls, but the plumes will rise high enough above

the crater's rim to be seen from Earth. "

 

 

 

The Pacific Ocean and western parts of North America are favored with

darkness and a good view of the Moon at the time of impact. Hawaii is the

best place to be, with Pacific coast states of the USA a close second.

Any place west of the Mississippi River, however, is a potential

observing site.

Right: The side of Earth facing the

Moon at the time of impact.

[

larger image]

[

observing tips]

When the plumes emerge from Cabeus, they

will be illuminated by sunshine streaming over the polar terrain. The

crater itself will be in the dark, however, permanently shadowed by its

own walls. " That's good, " says Day. " The crater's shadows

will provide a dark backdrop for viewing the sunlit plumes. "

In an earlier stage of mission planning, scientists hoped to strike a

crater closer to the Moon's limb so that the plumes would billow out

against the dark night sky, providing maximum contrast for observers on

Earth. However, recent data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter,

Japan's Kaguya spacecraft and India's Chandrayaan-1 probe altered those

plans.

" We've just learned that Cabeus may contain relatively-rich

deposits of hydrogen and/or frozen water, " says Colaprete.

" Cabeus is not as close to the lunar limb as we would have liked,

but it seems to offer us the best chance of hitting H2O. "

 

 

 

 

The LCROSS team hopes many peopleâ€â€amateurs and professionals

alikeâ€â€willl observe and photograph the plumes. " The more eyes

the better, " says Day. " Remember, we've never done this before.

We're not 100% sure what will happen, and big surprises are

possible. "

Right: Click on the image to find a

public viewing event near your hometown.

[

more]

Veteran amateur astronomer Kurt Fisher

has prepared a 13 MB slideshow to help fellow amateurs locate and witness

the plumes:

 

download it . There is also an online

LCROSS

observer's group where novices can read introductory articles and

chat with other observers.

" This is a wonderful opportunity for citizen scientists to join

NASA in the process of discovery, " says Day, who urges observers to

submit their images to the LCROSS

Citizen Science Site.

" It's a great adventure, and anyone can participate. "

Imagine that.

 

 

 

Author:

Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:

Science@NASA

more information

NASA

TV -- watch the impacts on line!

 

 

LCROSS Photographed by Backyard Astronomers -- (Science@NASA)

 

 

School

Kids Track LCROSS -- (Science@NASA)

NASA's

Impact Party

Toolkit

 

LCROSS

Home Page -- (NASA/HQ)

 

LCROSS Mission Page -- (NASA/Ames)

 

 

 

The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized

for Get

it Now for Free!

 

 

 

 

 

avast! Antivirus: Inbound message

clean.

Virus Database (VPS): 091005-0, 05/10/2009

Tested on: 6/10/2009 1:59:44 PM

avast! - copyright © 1988-2009 ALWIL

Software.

 

 

 

avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.

Virus Database (VPS): 091005-0, 05/10/2009Tested on: 6/10/2009 2:01:40 PMavast! - copyright © 1988-2009 ALWIL Software.

[Guest guest]

I am not a trusting person either when it comes to the government. But, pure research does not always have a precise reason. That's why they call it exploration. Exploration then leads to discovery which then leads to development. This can either lead to improvement of the race or destruction of it depending on the agency that controls the discovery. --- On Mon, 10/5/09, Hanneke <blosshan wrote:

Hanneke <blosshanRe: Take your seat for the Moon Bomb--Oct 9 Date: Monday, October 5, 2009, 11:31 PM

 

I wished I could be so trusting and find an excuse for sharing a secret by the government. In my experience, the government does nothing without a reason.. As I said, not a trusting person hereAt 01:58 PM 6/10/2009, you wrote:

While these ventures are costly and seem of little value, you would be amazed at the advances that may come out of exploratory missions and even war, Since we are not able to understand the cutting edge of science we can't understand the potential value of such missions. The problem we (the US) have is that we so readily share our secrets with other nations that we lose our lead in bringing these discoveries to the practical stage.--- On Mon, 10/5/09, Bea Bernhausen <beabernhausen wrote:

 

Bea Bernhausen <beabernhausen

Take your seat for the Moon Bomb--Oct 9

think-outside-the-box

Monday, October 5, 2009, 3:35 PM

and don't forget the popcorn....

 

seriously---are we there yet? How much more of this idiocy are we going to take?

 

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm?list130596

LCROSS Viewer's Guide

10.05.2009

 

+ Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list

October 5, 2009: Just imagine. A spaceship plunges out of the night sky, hits the ground and explodes. A plume of debris billows back into the heavens, leading your eye to a second ship in hot pursuit. Four minutes later, that one hits the ground, too. It's raining spaceships!

Put on your hard hat and get ready for action, because on Friday, Oct. 9th, what you just imagined is really going to happen--and you can have a front row seat.

Right: A computer visualization of LCROSS hitting the Moon on Oct. 9th. Credit: NASA/Ames

The impact site is crater Cabeus near the Moon's south pole. NASA is guiding the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite ("LCROSS" for short) and its Centaur booster rocket into the crater's floor for a spectacular double-impact designed to "unearth" signs of lunar water.

There are two ways to watch the show.

 

 

Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery

 

First, turn on NASA TV. The space agency will broadcast the action live from the Moon, with coverage beginning Friday morning at 3:15 am PDT (10:15 UT).. The first hour or so, pre-impact, will offer expert commentary, status reports from mission control, camera views from the spacecraft, and telemetry-based animations.

The actual impacts commence at 4:30 am PDT (11:30 UT). The Centaur rocket will strike first, transforming 2200 kg of mass and 10 billion joules of kinetic energy into a blinding flash of heat and light. Researchers expect the impact to throw up a plume of debris as high as 10 km.

Close behind, the LCROSS mothership will photograph the collision for NASA TV and then fly right through the debris plume. Onboard spectrometers will analyze the sunlit plume for signs of water (H2O), water fragments (OH), salts, clays, hydrated minerals and assorted organic molecules.

"If there's water there, or anything else interesting, we'll find it," says Tony Colaprete of NASA Ames, the mission's principal investigator.

 

 

 

Above: The lunar south pole as it will appear on the night of impact. Photo Credit - NMSU / MSFC Tortugas Observatory. [ larger image]

Next comes the mothership's own plunge. Four minutes after the Centaur "lands," the 700 kg LCROSS satellite will strike nearby, sending another, smaller debris plume over the rim of Cabeus.

The Hubble Space Telescope, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and hundreds of telescopes great and small on Earth will scrutinize the two plumes, looking for signs of water and the unexpected.

And that brings us to the second way to see the show: Grab your telescope.

"We expect the debris plumes to be visible through mid-sized backyard telescopes├вÐÑ‚ÐЭ10 inches and larger," says Brian Day of NASA/Ames. Daay is an amateur astronomer and the Education and Public Outreach Lead for LCROSS. "The initial explosions will probably be hidden behind crater walls, but the plumes will rise high enough above the crater's rim to be seen from Earth."

The Pacific Ocean and western parts of North America are favored with darkness and a good view of the Moon at the time of impact. Hawaii is the best place to be, with Pacific coast states of the USA a close second. Any place west of the Mississippi River, however, is a potential observing site.

Right: The side of Earth facing the Moon at the time of impact. [ larger image] [ observing tips]

When the plumes emerge from Cabeus, they will be illuminated by sunshine streaming over the polar terrain. The crater itself will be in the dark, however, permanently shadowed by its own walls. "That's good," says Day. "The crater's shadows will provide a dark backdrop for viewing the sunlit plumes."

In an earlier stage of mission planning, scientists hoped to strike a crater closer to the Moon's limb so that the plumes would billow out against the dark night sky, providing maximum contrast for observers on Earth. However, recent data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Japan's Kaguya spacecraft and India's Chandrayaan-1 probe altered those plans.

"We've just learned that Cabeus may contain relatively-rich deposits of hydrogen and/or frozen water," says Colaprete. "Cabeus is not as close to the lunar limb as we would have liked, but it seems to offer us the best chance of hitting H2O."

The LCROSS team hopes many people├втВмтÐЭamateurs and professionals alike├вÐÑ‚ÐЭwilll observe and photograph the plumes. "The more eyes the better," says Day. "Remember, we've never done this before. We're not 100% sure what will happen, and big surprises are possible."

Right: Click on the image to find a public viewing event near your hometown. [ more]

Veteran amateur astronomer Kurt Fisher has prepared a 13 MB slideshow to help fellow amateurs locate and witness the plumes: download it . There is also an online LCROSS observer's group where novices can read introductory articles and chat with other observers.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for citizen scientists to join NASA in the process of discovery," says Day, who urges observers to submit their images to the LCROSS Citizen Science Site. "It's a great adventure, and anyone can participate."

Imagine that.

 

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

more information

NASA TV -- watch the impacts on line!

LCROSS Photographed by Backyard Astronomers -- (Science@NASA)

School Kids Track LCROSS -- (Science@NASA)

NASA's Impact Party Toolkit

LCROSS Home Page -- (NASA/HQ)

LCROSS Mission Page -- (NASA/Ames)

 

The new Internet Explorer├В┬о 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for Get it Now for Free!

 

 

avast! Antivirus: Inbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 091005-0, 05/10/2009Tested on: 6/10/2009 1:59:44 PMavast! - copyright © 1988-2009 ALWIL Software.

 

 

avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 091005-0, 05/10/2009Tested on: 6/10/2009 2:01:40 PMavast! - copyright © 1988-2009 ALWIL Software.

[Guest guest]

Yes, we could be bombing an evil moon base. I can only hope, because otherwise

it makes no sense on the lighter side of possibilities.

Liz

 

, Tony De Angelis <tntstuart

wrote:

>

> While these ventures are costly and seem of little value, you would be amazed

at the advances that may come out of exploratory missions and even war,  Since

we are not able to understand the cutting edge of science we can't understand

the potential value of such missions.  The problem we (the US) have is that we

so readily share our secrets with other nations that we lose our lead in

bringing these discoveries to the practical stage.

>

> --- On Mon, 10/5/09, Bea Bernhausen <beabernhausen wrote:

>

>

> Bea Bernhausen <beabernhausen

> Take your seat for the Moon Bomb--Oct 9

> think-outside-the-box

> Monday, October 5, 2009, 3:35 PM

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

and don't forget the popcorn....

>  

> seriously---are we there yet? How much more of this idiocy are we going to

take?

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> http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm?list130596

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> LCROSS Viewer's Guide

> 10.05.2009

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> + Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list

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> October 5, 2009: Just imagine. A spaceship plunges out of the night sky, hits

the ground and explodes. A plume of debris billows back into the heavens,

leading your eye to a second ship in hot pursuit. Four minutes later, that one

hits the ground, too. It's raining spaceships!

> Put on your hard hat and get ready for action, because on Friday, Oct. 9th,

what you just imagined is really going to happen--and you can have a front row

seat.

> Right: A computer visualization of LCROSS hitting the Moon on Oct. 9th.

Credit: NASA/Ames

> The impact site is crater Cabeus near the Moon's south pole. NASA is guiding

the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite ( " LCROSS " for short) and its

Centaur booster rocket into the crater's floor for a spectacular double-impact

designed to " unearth " signs of lunar water.

> There are two ways to watch the show.

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Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery First, turn on NASA TV. The space

agency will broadcast the action live from the Moon, with coverage beginning

Friday morning at 3:15 am PDT (10:15 UT). The first hour or so, pre-impact, will

offer expert commentary, status reports from mission control, camera views from

the spacecraft, and telemetry-based animations.

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> The actual impacts commence at 4:30 am PDT (11:30 UT). The Centaur rocket will

strike first, transforming 2200 kg of mass and 10 billion joules of kinetic

energy into a blinding flash of heat and light. Researchers expect the impact to

throw up a plume of debris as high as 10 km.

> Close behind, the LCROSS mothership will photograph the collision for NASA TV

and then fly right through the debris plume. Onboard spectrometers will analyze

the sunlit plume for signs of water (H2O), water fragments (OH), salts, clays,

hydrated minerals and assorted organic molecules.

> " If there's water there, or anything else interesting, we'll find it, " says

Tony Colaprete of NASA Ames, the mission's principal investigator.

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> Above: The lunar south pole as it will appear on the night of impact. Photo

Credit - NMSU / MSFC Tortugas Observatory. [larger image]

> Next comes the mothership's own plunge. Four minutes after the Centaur

" lands, " the 700 kg LCROSS satellite will strike nearby, sending another,

smaller debris plume over the rim of Cabeus.

> The Hubble Space Telescope, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and

hundreds of telescopes great and small on Earth will scrutinize the two plumes,

looking for signs of water and the unexpected.

> And that brings us to the second way to see the show: Grab your telescope.

> " We expect the debris plumes to be visible through mid-sized backyard

telescopesâ€â€10 inches and larger, " says Brian Day of NASA/Ames. Day is an

amateur astronomer and the Education and Public Outreach Lead for LCROSS. " The

initial explosions will probably be hidden behind crater walls, but the plumes

will rise high enough above the crater's rim to be seen from Earth. "

> The Pacific Ocean and western parts of North America are favored with darkness

and a good view of the Moon at the time of impact. Hawaii is the best place to

be, with Pacific coast states of the USA a close second. Any place west of the

Mississippi River, however, is a potential observing site.

> Right: The side of Earth facing the Moon at the time of impact. [larger image]

[observing tips]

> When the plumes emerge from Cabeus, they will be illuminated by sunshine

streaming over the polar terrain. The crater itself will be in the dark,

however, permanently shadowed by its own walls. " That's good, " says Day. " The

crater's shadows will provide a dark backdrop for viewing the sunlit plumes. "

> In an earlier stage of mission planning, scientists hoped to strike a crater

closer to the Moon's limb so that the plumes would billow out against the dark

night sky, providing maximum contrast for observers on Earth. However, recent

data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Japan's Kaguya spacecraft and

India's Chandrayaan-1 probe altered those plans.

> " We've just learned that Cabeus may contain relatively-rich deposits of

hydrogen and/or frozen water, " says Colaprete. " Cabeus is not as close to the

lunar limb as we would have liked, but it seems to offer us the best chance of

hitting H2O. "

> The LCROSS team hopes many peopleâ€â€amateurs and professionals

alikeâ€â€will observe and photograph the plumes. " The more eyes the better, "

says Day. " Remember, we've never done this before. We're not 100% sure what will

happen, and big surprises are possible.. "

> Right: Click on the image to find a public viewing event near your hometown..

[more]

> Veteran amateur astronomer Kurt Fisher has prepared a 13 MB slideshow to help

fellow amateurs locate and witness the plumes: download it . There is also an

online LCROSS observer's group where novices can read introductory articles and

chat with other observers.

> " This is a wonderful opportunity for citizen scientists to join NASA in the

process of discovery, " says Day, who urges observers to submit their images to

the LCROSS Citizen Science Site. " It's a great adventure, and anyone can

participate. "

> Imagine that.

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> Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

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> more information

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> NASA TV -- watch the impacts on line!

> LCROSS Photographed by Backyard Astronomers -- (Science@NASA)

> School Kids Track LCROSS -- (Science@NASA)

> NASA's Impact Party Toolkit

> LCROSS Home Page -- (NASA/HQ)

> LCROSS Mission Page -- (NASA/Ames)

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