LCROSS to Crash on the Moon
on Thursday, 8th October, 2009 at 12:12 pm
image courtesy of NASA
In the small hours of tomorrow morning, NASA’s LCROSS spacecraft will divide into two sections and crash into a dark lunar crater. The instrumentation probe will observe the impact of the booster section into the lunar surface and identify the materials excavated from deep under the regolith. Both impacts will be analyzed from the earth. NASA TV will be covering the event live and people with big telescopes will be able to watch it themselves.
There’s lots of detail on the LCROSS web site (http://lcross NULL.arc NULL.nasa NULL.gov/).
(http://en-gb
I just got an update from NASA:
“NASA’s LCROSS spacecraft and its Centaur booster rocket are on course for a Friday morning impact in crater Cabeus near the Moon’s south pole. The Centaur will strike first on Oct. 9th at 11:31:19 UT (7:31:19 EDT, 4:31:19 PDT), followed by the LCROSS mothership at 11:35:45 UTC (7:35:45 EDT, 4:35:45). The spectacular double-impact, designed to excavate water frozen in the crater’s shadowy depths, will be broadcast live on NASA TV. Amateur astronomers with 10-inch class backyard telescopes may be able to see debris billowing over the crater’s rim. ”
So it looks like a midmorning event here in UK. I’ll need to fire up NASA TV and watch the fun.