|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Apollo Saturn SIVB Lunar Impacts vs LCROSS Impact Mission
Granted the few SIVB third stages from the Apollo Saturn V launches that hit
the moon didn't impact anywhere near the Moon's polar region, but didn't their mass, speed and more direct angle create far more impressive impact craters and ejecta than the LCROSS's significantly smaller Centaur stage? Which leads to the question of why couldn't scientists observe the impact via observatories back in the early 70's while we the public are being told we can see LCROSS's impact through basically backyard telescopes. And has any subsequent Lunar observation mission ever photographed any of the SIVB impact craters like what was recently done with the Apollo Lunar Module landing sites? |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Apollo Saturn SIVB Lunar Impacts vs LCROSS Impact Mission
Peter Cushing's Ghost wrote:
Granted the few SIVB third stages from the Apollo Saturn V launches that hit the moon didn't impact anywhere near the Moon's polar region, but didn't their mass, speed and more direct angle create far more impressive impact craters and ejecta than the LCROSS's significantly smaller Centaur stage? Which leads to the question of why couldn't scientists observe the impact via observatories back in the early 70's while we the public are being told we can see LCROSS's impact through basically backyard telescopes. The point is not to observe the crater or ejecta, the point is to analyze the spectra of all the stuff thrown up by the impact. That's much harder to see against a lunar background, which is why LCROSS's impact is being targeted for a limb - and particularly the south polar limb, which is believed to contain water ice deposits. That way all the debris will be viewed against a space background. The S-IVB impacts were not similarly targeted because their purpose was to test the seismometers placed by the landing missions. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Apollo Saturn SIVB Lunar Impacts vs LCROSS Impact Mission
Peter Cushing's Ghost wrote:
Granted the few SIVB third stages from the Apollo Saturn V launches that hit the moon didn't impact anywhere near the Moon's polar region, but didn't their mass, speed and more direct angle create far more impressive impact craters and ejecta than the LCROSS's significantly smaller Centaur stage? Which leads to the question of why couldn't scientists observe the impact via observatories back in the early 70's while we the public are being told we can see LCROSS's impact through basically backyard telescopes. And has any subsequent Lunar observation mission ever photographed any of the SIVB impact craters like what was recently done with the Apollo Lunar Module landing sites? At least one S-IVB impact crater has been imaged by LRO: http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/?archi...ct-Crater.html The problem with trying to see the LCROSS impact from Earth is that it's right at one of the lunar poles, so we are looking at it side-on rather than from above. Pat |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Apollo Saturn SIVB Lunar Impacts vs LCROSS Impact Mission
On Oct 8, 9:44*pm, Pat Flannery wrote:
Peter Cushing's Ghost wrote: Granted the few SIVB third stages from the Apollo Saturn V launches that hit the moon didn't impact anywhere near the Moon's polar region, but didn't their mass, speed and more direct angle create far more impressive impact craters and ejecta than the LCROSS's significantly smaller Centaur stage? Which leads to the question of why couldn't scientists observe the impact via observatories back in the early 70's while we the public are being told we can see LCROSS's impact through basically backyard telescopes. And has any subsequent Lunar observation mission ever photographed any of the SIVB impact craters like what was recently done with the Apollo Lunar Module landing sites? At least one S-IVB impact crater has been imaged by LRO:http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/?archi...IVB-Impact-Cra... The problem with trying to see the LCROSS impact from Earth is that it's right at one of the lunar poles, so we are looking at it side-on rather than from above. Pat 14+ tonnes made only a 25 meter splat? That impact site much have been nothing but a hundred plus meters worth of extremely lose rock and dark as coal dust. What's the bright white stuff? ~ BG |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Apollo Saturn SIVB Lunar Impacts vs LCROSS Impact Mission
On Oct 8, 9:44*pm, Pat Flannery wrote:
Peter Cushing's Ghost wrote: Granted the few SIVB third stages from the Apollo Saturn V launches that hit the moon didn't impact anywhere near the Moon's polar region, but didn't their mass, speed and more direct angle create far more impressive impact craters and ejecta than the LCROSS's significantly smaller Centaur stage? Which leads to the question of why couldn't scientists observe the impact via observatories back in the early 70's while we the public are being told we can see LCROSS's impact through basically backyard telescopes. And has any subsequent Lunar observation mission ever photographed any of the SIVB impact craters like what was recently done with the Apollo Lunar Module landing sites? At least one S-IVB impact crater has been imaged by LRO:http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/?archi...IVB-Impact-Cra... The problem with trying to see the LCROSS impact from Earth is that it's right at one of the lunar poles, so we are looking at it side-on rather than from above. Pat There's h2o of perhaps 50 ppm in that basalt, and perhaps otherwise lots more as a mineral brine deeper within. 14+ tonnes made only a 25 meter splat? http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/?archi...ct-Crater.html http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/upload...sivb_thumb.png That impact site must have been nothing but a hundred plus meters worth of extremely lose rock and otherwise looking dark as coal dust. What's the bright white stuff? (sodium?) ~ BG |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
New impact site for LCROSS water-hunting mission | Yousuf Khan[_2_] | Astronomy Misc | 0 | September 29th 09 07:02 AM |
NASA's LCROSS Reveals Target Crater For Lunar South Pole Impacts | ron | News | 0 | September 11th 09 11:43 PM |
NASA Researchers Are Mining Old Apollo Seismic Data For Clues to Lunar Meteroid Impacts | [email protected] | News | 0 | April 28th 06 08:04 PM |