LCROSS Lunar Impact Options

[AndyG]

Mmmm ... I've seen spacecraft disappear into craters before.

[elakdawalla]

Oh how I wish Ames was as on the ball as JPL is with media graphics. Any sign of these cool slides anywhere on the Web?

[Astro0]

There was a 'flash'

Here's the mission's image showing the 'flash' and I think it matches nicely to the spot I noticed in the animation.

[clad]

I´ve a comment about the poor media coverage of this important event, i think this a important mission, can you imagine if we found water in the moon? all the things we can possible found with this discover? , NASA needs more advertise around the world to obtain more benefits, more support from all of us. The information in our present era is like gold, everybody needs to have it....

I would to say thanks to the people in this web page to keep us informed and post pics from the most important part of the mission, and of course a WELL DONE to NASA for this flawless mission.

[dilo]

Rough animation from the frames of last 2 minutes of transmission (starting about 2.5min after Centur impact). The very last frames aren't included...

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Juramike]

Interesting comment regarding the integrated spectral data after the initial peak (Centaur impact).
"The observation that the line didn't return to zero is interesting." (paraphrased)

Did we make a smoldering crater?

[centsworth_II]

....I'd assumed that vaporizing a football field worth of lunar regolith would've made a bigger flash and a sunlit dust plume....

Are you referring to the LCROSS crater? That was predicted to be 60 meters in diameter. It would take about 15 of those to cover a football field.

To everyone: I hope the press conference has dispelled the uncharacteristic negative attitudes I see expressed in many of the post impact comments.

[Doc]

Indeed there was a flash. Hardly more than a few pixels. But its there and the UV radiance data being presented proves it. The size is as expected...

[MahFL]

Yes but the whole episode was over-hyped. Todays public expects to see what they expect to see !
A pixel or 2 on a camera ain't going to do it. As a co-worker said "is that all we get for 79 million ?"

[centsworth_II]

A pixel or 2 on a camera ain't going to do it. As a co-worker said "is that all we get for 79 million ?"

I'll paraphrase from the press conference:

'THE SPECTRA IS WHERE THE SCIENCE IS AT.'

We pay for the science, not the spectacle.

[Juramike]

The difference is between the sudden frisson of an awe-inspiring spectacle compared to the subtle beauty of scientific data analysis.

[AndyG]

I hope the press conference has dispelled the uncharacteristic negative attitudes I see expressed in many of the post impact comments.

Oh, I think that's a little bit unfair. It had been suggested beforehand that a 10" scope might show a flash and maybe even a debris cloud. The result of the real impact - that even multi-metre-diameter scopes seemingly saw nothing - will be disappointing to the general public. There's the negativity, if any.

To quote the conference, it's the squiggly lines on graphs that'll obviously answer (and raise) the questions, and I doubt anyone here isn't looking forward to the real science results - but (if you want to hear my own bug-bear) I think it's unfair on the conference panel to be wheeled out after a very long night, just a few hours after the event, to be asked questions that they can't in all honesty answer at this time.

Andy

[Doc]

To everyone: I hope the press conference has dispelled the uncharacteristic negative attitudes I see expressed in many of the post impact comments.

The press is definitely skeptical if you look at the briefing. Someone actually suggested an LCROSS 2!

[Doc]

I'll paraphrase from the press conference:

'THE SPECTRA IS WHERE THE SCIENCE IS AT.'

We pay for the science, not the spectacle.

Amen to that!

[centsworth_II]

...Someone actually suggested an LCROSS 2!

This sounds like someone who thinks LCROSS is a good idea -- after having witnessed one.