George's Astronomical Observations

Unconfirmed Lunar Impacts and cosmic rays

Home Observers' Clear Sky Clocks GOES Weather EAST Apparent disk of the moon

Lunar Impact telescope setup... Description of a lunar impact imaging run

Download LunarScan 1.3 by Pete Gural (784 Kb Zip file) - Use this to process your video for impact candidates.

August 9, 2008 02:27:04.996 UT 02:27:04UT - Larger image Unconfirmed but probable lunar impact candidate imaged with a Watec 902 H2 Ult and Celestron 8" NGT @ f/5.0. Another dim event at 02:18:18UT		Larger image

Larger image	April 13, 2008 2:46:03 UT Unconfirmed but probable Lunar Impact - imaged with a Watec 902 H2 Ult and Celestron 8" NGT @ f/5.0. Another dimmer event at 01:42:59 UT

March 13, 2008 2:04:21 UT Unconfirmed but probable lunar impact candidate imaged with a Watec 902 H2 Ult and Celestron 8" NGT @ f/5.0. 3 video fields.	Larger image

Unconfirmed event Feb 21, 2008, 02:23:47UT Larger Image	February 20, 2008 Lunar Eclipse (Feb 21, 02:23:47.4UT) Unconfirmed but probable impact from Feb 20 Lunar Eclipse. The event lasted both video fields in the same video frame and was very faint.

February 20, 2008 Lunar Eclipse
(Feb 21, 03:19:57.4UT)

An "event", possibly an impact during the full Lunar Eclipse February 20, 2008 (Feb 21, 03:19:57.4UT).

The event lasted 3 video fields. However, it does display some artifacting although the light levels during the eclipse were different than what is typically the case with the shadowed lunar surface. It is not similar to a cosmic ray event and I was using a focal reducer at the time.

Image of unconfirmed lunar impact candidate Feb 20, 2008 during lunar eclipse

Unconfirmed event Feb 21, 2008, 03:19:57UT
Animated GIF Larger Image

Larger Image	December 18, 2007 00:38:31 UT Unconfirmed but probable lunar impact. Imaged with an 8" Celestron and StellaCam II at prime focus. 00:38:31 Animated GIF 852Kb 3 video fields, bright

December 15, 2007 00:45:52UT Unconfirmed event I was shooting sucker holes and LunarScan coughed up this event. Both Odd and Even video fields are about the same brightness. It looks sketchy at best and the conditions were really awful. Worth reporting though...	Larger Image

Unconfirmed 2007 Orionid impact candidates

Orionids? - 10/20/2007
23:17:03UT #a21 - duration = 4 video fields Image Animated GIF 694Kb
23:23:48UT #b4 duration = 2 video fields, very dim Image
23:43:14UT #d3 duration = 3 video fields Image Animated GIF 708Kb

Orionids? - 10/21/2007
03:48:12UT #i3 duration = 2 video fields Image

April 23, 2007 01:17:35UT Unconfirmed probable Lunar Impact - a Lyrid?? Imaged with an 8" Celestron and StellaCam II at prime focus. Unfortunately, this one can not be confirmed as it fell outside the FOV on MSFC's equipment.	Click for larger image Animation

Larger image	Cosmic Ray Sampler April 12, 2008 - I started testing my new Watec H2 Ult. This image is comprised of 4 cosmic ray hits from 4 different events, zoomed in 300 percent.

NASA - Lunar Impact Monitoring Monitoring the moon for meteoroid impacts will help determine the hazardous they will present to astronauts during prolonged stays on the lunar surface.

Download LunarScan 1.3 by Pete Gural 784 Kb Zip file - Use this to process your lunar impact video.

Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS)

In 2009, the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will guide a booster into an orbit that will smash it into a permanently shadowed crater on either the north or south pole of the moon. Shortly after, the shepherding craft will crash in to the same spot after descending through the debris plume. The plume should be visible above the limb according to the experts, using small and medium telescopes.

Home