[X] My Assistant

[efron_01]

Here in the dark corners of the Netherlands (21.50h) I have seen the first streaks of light.
I know that what I see is the result of friction between the atmosphere and the left overs of a comet that passed this area a long time ago..

But traveling with us in space is Luna... The Moon.

No atmosphere, so -I suppose !!- no light show there, but what if an astronaut was there now... What would (s)he notice ??
what would (s)he see ???

Is the Leonid "storm" strong enough (are the particles large enough) to create some new (mini) craters ??
Would an astronaut be able to see small impacts (plumes of dust)... If an astronaut was under a large shield of glass would (s)he (indoors) hear the sound of
hail stones on the glass.. would (s)he even be safe ???? Perhaps you remember the movie "Enemy Mine"

And if on the near site of Luna... Earth would be fixed in the sky... as in not moving very much
As Luna is small now in our morning sky, our planet must be full of light, but still would an astronaut on Luna be able to see flashes of light on the dark site of the earth..

Or would nothing happen, as the particles are way too small and the light show we get to see here in the coming ours is too "minor" too see from the moon as well.

I hope some one can tell us about it.. It is intriging

[dvandorn]

I think that the "dust swarms" which make up the various meteor showers pose a small but quantifiable risk to both manned and unmanned spacecraft, be they in LEO or on Luna.

I believe that the ISS has recorded micro-impacts during meteor showers, but the fact that there's never been a serious damage event on such a large structure, after it has passed through several annual encounters per year, speaks to the probability of such an event.

I don't have density-per-square-kilometer figures to back this up, but I'd bet you that you're in greater danger from earthquakes in California than you would be from Leonid dust on Luna or in LEO.

-the other Doug