How To Watch The Moon Bombing In Real Time
If you have nothing to do on Friday, October 9, at 7.31am Eastern/4.31am Pacific (10.31pm AEDST), reserve that spot for some serious space fireworks. At that time you can see how NASA bombs the Moon from orbit using this huge thing.
Click to enlarge
That’s a Centaur, the upper stage of the Atlas 5 rocket that took the Lunar Crater Observing and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) to our beloved Selene. It will impact against the Cabeus crater at 9000km/h, causing another crater about one-third the size of a football field.
The Cabeus crater was selected because it’s likely to show definitive proof of water in the moon, based on the information from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Lunar Prospector, Chandrayaan-1, and JAXA’s Kaguya spacecraft. The bombing is designed to measure the proportion of water—ice to dust ratio—in lunar regolith.
Here’s the impact crater, selected based on information from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Prospector (LP), Chandrayaan-1 and JAXA’s Kaguya spacecraft.
Here’s an image showing a similar crater to the one that the Centaur stage is projected to make.
The effects of the impact will be observable from Earth using telescopes larger than 10 inches.
The effects of the impact—a plume projected to be 50km high—will be observable from Earth using telescopes larger than 10 inches. The good news is that you don’t have to own such a huge telescope to see it. In fact, you have three options to enjoy the show.
• If you’re in the US, attend one of the many public events organised by observatories throughout the country. You can see a list of events here.
• Watch NASA TV, which will broadcast the event.
• Use Slooh, the site that lets you control telescopes around the world in your PJs. Go to this page here to get more information about it.
I’m so excited that I’m wearing my Apollo underpants already.
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Um….excuse me! I don’t know about you, but I have studied about these people called the Mayans. They had this little calendar that is predicting the end of the world on December 23, 2012. Does no one else here realize that the moon controls SEASONS!!!! and the WEATHER!!!! And the TIDES!!! Could this crater, I don’t know, AFFECT the MOON?! What about meteorites?! I don’t know about the people at NASA, but I don’t wanna die!
Lol.
Iv’e been meaning to ask, Why did the Mayans think the world would end then?
honestly, I think they thought they had just been forward thinking enough by mapping out a few thousand years into the future. I mean. I defy you to find a modern day calendar that goes more than a few years into the future! No! u’d be lucky to be able to get a 2010 calendar even now!
I’m sure its just the equivalent to Mayan Y2K. so as long as there aren’t any automated ancient Mayan weapons of mass destruction, I think we’ll be fine.
Well, Matt,
bask in the late 1960’s when I was in high school I received, from a astronomy teacher, a calendar chart that showed how the calendar is cyclic in that you can see that about every 8 or 9 years the year dates “start” over – in others words, the 1st of every month falls on the same day of the month, and year, as the one 8 or 9 years previously.
Probably not very courteous to be “scoffing” at someone about their “mapping” out ideas.
Now, about the prediction part, your right. But then, we have trouble determining the weath three days from now with any “real” accuracy. (yes, I am a science instructor – with a PhD)
I was just thinking the same thing myself well..the seas, weather and tides part anyway. The question is will the blast be strong enough to alter the moon’s orbit.
we,ve had bigger explsions on earth with no effect however earth is a lot larger.
comments?
I’m selling aluminum hats if you’re interested College Kida…
The Mayans didn’t predict the end of the world… their calender simply ends on that date. our calendars end once a year and the world doesn’t end. Our calender measuring the time it takes the Earth to do 1 cycle around the sun. Their calendar measures the time it takes the sun to do 1 cycle of the galaxy, we will pass through (or near) the center of the galaxy on 23/12/12.
any 1 who think the world is going to end on this date please do yourself (and me) a favor and have a peaceful end now.
Its not the 23rd its the 21st. and the moon always gets hit by asteroids so its no big deal. there are no explosives in the missile anyways.
On the person saying it will mess up our “tides” post. You do realize we can’t produce the kinetic energy of asteroids and meteors that have impacted the moon on many occasions. If they haven’t thrown off our tide I highly doubt a NASA impactor can. You have nothing to be worried about. Now sit back and enjoy what is about to take place!
What?….are you kidding me “terrified college kid”…finish your edumication…you need it.
No where does the Mayan Calender indicate the world is ending….uh..you probably believe in the bible as well…santa claus, the easter bunny…terrorists….lol…..wake up…
FEAR is the False Evidence Appearing Real
The Mayan Calendar is the study of human consciousness…and that we are evolving….our consciousness is changing and we will never be the same….it’s called EVOLUTION….look it up in the dictionary…
UMM question were can you watch the impact of the rocket sites anyone?
So what time is this going to happen in Tasmania/Victoria?
10.31pm AEDST. Unless I got my time conversion mixed up…
Of course you know that occasionally the moon goes ‘Black Face’, the yanks are bombing the Moon because of that.
or
The yanks cant get along with anyone, they are really launching a Preemptive strike in case there is life on the moon.
or
They are really sending Harry Connick Jr. to the Moon because he is an embarrassment to all Americans?
Maybe Harry Connick Jr. is upset because he missed the part in ‘Tropic Thunder’ :)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0942385/
The moon does not create seasons! the tilt of the earth does that. the impact will be 1/2 the size of a football field.. If water is found then this will open the door for a new era in moon exploration and further manned exploration of our solar system.. I’m all for it.
thanks for the rational thought.
your right its an exciting time
this is great!!! first step to the end of the world!!!
ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY BLOODY RIDICULOUS, GOD MADE THE MOON TO GIVE US LIGHT, NOW YOU ARE GONNA BOMB IT, I PRAY ALL THE EQUIPTMENT BREAKS DOWN AND GOD STRIKES YOU
ummm…right..lay off the liquor lady
God also gave us rocket fuel to bomb the moon with!
Well we have been nuking Earth for how long now??? And we are still alive. God gave us Earth TO LIVE! And we have been bombing it. So I am pretty sure that the moon will be ok… :)
The only reason this is actually funny is because it’s on Gizmodo, if I had read that comment on news.com or something then I would have just been scared that somebody actually thought that…
I do like the idea of the moon giving light though! That and “God”.
Just FYI, the impact made here won’t be the first time — or anywhere the largest impact — on the moon. There are many, many craters on the moon many, many times the size of the one they’re making in this experiment. To infer from this that somehow this comparatively extremely tiny blast is going to cause enough damage as to somehow alter the moon is silly.
I understand Matts answer to the Mayans, But this is something different. Why do mando these kind of things then sit back in hopes nothing bad will happen? In my view I think we should not Launch as we should let Nature take its desired course, not the other way around. I believe the reason is money or else we would just send someone there (FOR THE FIRST TIME) and drill for the answers. Open your eyes people!!!!
Yeah, God’s going to strike you down–Thanks for that comment Jerry Falwell…I mean Katie
This is crazy all this talk about the end of the world and now we are adding to the problem >..DO not bomb the moon it could mess up the gravitation that is holding us here. THis is nuts. I pray that it doesnt affect us.. and i dont think its fair that nasa gets to decide things with out all of our opinions!!!
WHY ARE WE BOMBING THE MOON IT WILL BREAK APART AND FALL TO EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE STUDIED ASTROPHYSICS AND PHYSICS AND UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF MOON ORBIT AND I TELL YOU IT WILL FALL INTO US AND CREATE THE END TIME THAT THE APOCALYSTS AT NASA WANT!!!!!!!!!!! DONT LET THIS HAPPEN CHAIN YOURSELF TO ROCKET TO STOP LAUNCH!!!!!!!!
Come on now people….How bout this…Those craters you see on the moon…yea..umm…theyre created by way bigger and way more powerful things then our lame excuse of a rocket…and oh my lookie here….we are all still alive.
i thinks we ortta nuke tha moon first fore them greens men can come down here anna takes our sisters for themselves.
ima goona gets ma guns an such anna drive to tha moon to shoots me soma them alieens who done been terrerizin ma goats an putting them swirlies in ma corn. praise jesus
The Moon does not belong to anyone – it is universally a part of ALL of our lives; an integral part of our universe; our nearest celestial neighbor. I don’t understand how NASA has the RIGHT to bomb the moon!???!?!? This is honestly so bizarre its hard to believe its actually happening…WHO GAVE THEM THE AUTHORITY TO DO THIS? There was no vote – there was no international council… I don’t care whether they think the search for water justifies it, NASA does not have the right to bomb the moon any more than we have the right to demand they do not bomb the moon. Just because they have the money and the moronic plan should not give them the right to do such an insane thing!!! HELLO?!?!?! THIS IS LIKE A BAD SCI FI MOVIE!!! It feels like a violation on every level. WHAT IS NEXT? Shall we bomb venus? Mars? Saturn? It feels like a bunch of adolescent scientists who like explosions. I pray that there are more of us on this earth that realize the absurdity of this act, than those who think its a great idea. I pray that there are no serious ramifications from this move. I pray that this is not the start of some new series of bombings… Think about it – the Moon is the symbol of the Divine Feminine. Clearly this agenda to BOMB the MOON is a total act of patriarchial insanity. Truly its sad, disheartening, and scary to feel so powerless to such forces of ignorance. I hope somehow this act can unite the people of the world to take a stand against this and demand our rights as citizens of this universe who are naturally entitled to non-wounded celestial bodies – I mean 5 mile crater – what?!?!?! They sound so excited that hopefully we’ll be able to see the hole from earth with telescopes. C’mon you guys – this is adolescent mentality for sure… I wonder what the other countries will think about this? Hopefully they will know that NASA does NOT represent the views of the citizens of the USA at large, by any means…
@Eden
I don’t see how the moon is a representation of the “Divine Feminine” – looks more like a big ol nut to me. This is clearly an attack perpetrated by feminazi NASA scientists who would be better served cleaning the loos on the space station than interfering with manly men’s business. Space exploration is a manly pursuit carried out by men doing manly man things. Remember that teflon came from the space program – think of all those hours saved for womenfolk in the kitchen with that manly invention.
If the message isn’t getting through, I can repeat it in CAPS if you’d prefer.
@just sayin… hahahaha i love it!!
All you naysayers and fearers of the apocolypse need to sort something out before you die. learn how to READ, and get the faccts straight before you go laying all your god crap down in writing. Man there is some dumb people in this world.
Crazy! If they make a hole in the moon and there is water there, it will all leak out into space. Then the moon will fly away or fall down! I have studied this so I know. Praise God.
So if they are going to bomb the moon,can I take a break from work and have a beer , Simon Australia
big moon go boom, crash to earth, people die, god no like.
no bomb moon, what is science?
thats what some of you god fearing people sound like, stuff hits the moon AND the earth from space EVERY DAY!
has no one seen apocalypto? the mayans were sh*t blokes, and i would think we are in a better position now to predict the end of the world then they were.
people who are against this would clearly prefer to live in the stone age where science doesnt exist,
@eden from what i gained from your comment, you’ve got some nerve calling NASA ignorant
Do we really have to bombard the moon to find (more) water on the moon? Chandrayaan/M3 has discovered water just by scanning the surface of the moon. Why don’t we soft land on the moon, drill down and make it more non violent? We know nothing much about the moon yet. Why take the risk?
This is a military project for fuel and oxygen. Go back to banging in the dorm like the good college kids that you are. Forget that we are turning the moon into a fort station; it’s for your benefit.
Oh wow, reading these comments made me cry with laughter. Honestly, some people are unbelievably stupid. I really hope that all the anti-Centaur comments were just poking fun… I mean really, affecting the tides? Moon crashing to earth? Are you serious? We’re not bombing the moon, we’re testing it. It is like we’re taking a blood sample of the moon, quick, painless and efficient. It would take many more years and much more money to develop a fully automated deep mining operation to get the sort of results that the Centaur project will achieve. And if we were doing that, there would be the complaints from the same people “Why are we still spending so much money on science?!”
Stupid people, wake up. There is no risk, this is science, let the smart people do it.
In 4 1/1 months the same thing happens to Mars except on the North Pole.
who cares about mars lol
And by the way, there were no explosives. Not much happened. The moon is fine.