LCROSS Lunar Impact Options

[dilo]

My version of IR sequence near Centaur impact (16sec total duration in the video)

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[centsworth_II]

...that even multi-metre-diameter scopes seemingly saw nothing - will be disappointing to the general public. There's the negativity, if any.

....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.

OK, maybe I was being too sensitive.

I appreciate the time taken by those very tired panelists to give the post impact briefing. Even that soon after the event, we saw some interesting stuff: The flash, the crater, some yet-to-be-interpreted spectra. A rough time line was given: two weeks for behind doors hypothesis to hypothesis combat, two months to public disclosure of the fight results. A major professional conference in December to reveal detailed result at.

[briv1016]

Can someone put up a scale bar on the IR images so we can get a sense of size?

[djellison]

We pay for the science, not the spectacle.

Where is the 350 ton, 6 mile high, 30+ mile wide plume they predicted that would have been very very obvious from all the great observatory pictures?

What has occurred is not what was predicted. Negativity, from that standpoint is, to a certain extent, justified.

I didn't see the thing live - I was away from TV and Internet. Just got some WiFi, looking at all the pics and vids - and before I even visited UMSF, I said "Hmm - I wonder if anyone else will be saying 'is that it'" an indeed they are.

It's certainly not helped by a scientists with this attitude:

"Will you know if you saw water by this afternoon?" Colaprete: "I probably will but I'm not gonna tell you."

The value is in the science - and that science is yet to be done. BUT - what was seen was not what was forecast by that science team.

[Paolo]

what was seen was not what was forecast by that science team.

this is what science is all about

[centsworth_II]

What has occurred is not what was predicted....

Sometimes the best science comes from results of an experiment which don't match predictions. Or in sports parlance, 'that's why we play the game.'

Re: "Will you know if you saw water by this afternoon?" Colaprete: "I probably will but I'm not gonna tell you."
In context, the meaning is clear: Colaprete may know what he sees, but his colleagues will also know what they see and there will be differences. They will take a couple weeks to discuss those differences before making a public statement. He also said that!

[belleraphon1]

So some people are angry because nature did not behave the way we thought?

I agree with Paolo.... this IS what science is all about.

Personally I am excited that they got GOOD data. Now let the scientists do their jobs. And let them do it correctly with no rushed results.

Craig

[elakdawalla]

We all know what he meant, and he did go on to say that he needed to await scientific consensus. But the way he phrased it was unfortunate. I know he was tired and all, so it's hard to blame him, but unfortunately he came across as smirky and smug, and the whole panel seemed to avoid the issue of the lack of a flash, which didn't produce a great impression; I worry the press won't treat the team well.

[bugs_]

Shoulda put a bigger "bomb" on it :-)

[centsworth_II]

Shoulda put a bigger "bomb" on it :-)

--- I mean

[MahFL]

A newclear bomb ?

[djellison]

So some people are angry because nature did not behave the way we thought?

I agree with Paolo.... this IS what science is all about.

Angry? Certainly not.

A bit disappointed with the early results? The lack of an obvious plume from even the very best ground based observatories? I think so.

Couldn't agree more with the sentiment though - this really IS what science is about. If we got exactly what we expected, then would we really learn anything anyway

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

It was a superb opportunity for ground-based observatories, curious to see what Hubble saw...
http://keckobservatory.org/index.php/news/...ew_of_the_moon/
(.)

[MahFL]

I just watched the replay, seems they underestimated the bandwidth needed, also were getting confused as to which camera they were talking about, and the main commentator of course said "I am not sure what we saw, which translates to "we did not really see anthying just now did we.....?".

They seemed pleased at LOS, presumebly confident they hit the Moon !

[djellison]

Emily, as ever, says the right things, in the right way :
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002157/

Here - a less positive commentary on events
http://jesseknoll.com/blog/?p=270