[Offtopic] Re: Japanese Spacecraft Set to Hit the Moon

Mon Jun 15 08:22:56 EST 2009

Is the moon now off course? Tides going to change, or will the moon tear
itself from it's orbit like in Space 1999 ? Showing my age a little
here. 

Best regards,

Alan Oh

Computer Operations Dept

________________________________

From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Friday, 12 June 2009 6:03 PM
To: eChalk mailing list; Information Technology Teachers' Offtopic
Mailing List
Subject: [Offtopic] Re: Japanese Spacecraft Set to Hit the Moon

The following link has some photographs of the lunar collision taken by
some Astronomers at the Anglo Australia Telescope .. working back late,
as they do best :-)

Regards Roland (from a rather overcast Melbourne and wearing a warm
footy scarf)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rob Hollow <Robert.Hollow at csiro.au>
Date: 2009/6/12
Subject: Re: Japanese Spacecraft lunar impact
To: Roland Gesthuizen <rgesthuizen at gmail.com>

Hi Roland, astronomers on the AAT imaged it:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Mwtzns-myaARFavL9a8ycg?feat=directl
ink

Cheers

Rob

Robert  Hollow

Education Officer

CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility

robert.hollow at csiro.au

Visit our Outreach website: http://outreach.atnf.csiro.au
<http://outreach.atnf.csiro.au/>  

Get involved in the International Year of Astronomy 2009:
http://www.astronomy2009.org.au <http://www.astronomy2009.org.au/> 

PO Box 76 Epping, NSW 1710

ph: +61 (0)2 9372 4247

fax: +61 (0)2 9372 4444

2009/6/10 Roland Gesthuizen <rgesthuizen at gmail.com>

If you are reading this on Thursday morning, the collision has already
happened and you can probably view the pictures (if any).

     http://spaceweather.com/

At least my WA friends will not have to stay up as late as I must in
Melbourne to glimpse of the Japanese Spacecraft that is predicted to
impact on the lunar surface. I will be poking my head outside with a
telescope and battle the clouds and cold to spot the lunar impact on the
top LHS (turning their diagram upside down for the southern hemisphere)
>From my copy of the open source software Stellarium, the Moon will be to
the NE and about 80 degrees high (just look up .. no need to use the
sofware like I did!) 

This makes the impact time for Melbourne: Thursday, June 11, 2009 at
4:30:00 AM or Perth Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 2:30:00 AM

As my wife points out, the last time she looked at space junk in WA, it
was Skylab with no space repellent to keep the debris away. Dont expect
any debris clouds spiraling back or blinding flash... just a vague
chance of spotting something through binoculars or largish telescope. We
lost ours with the Gippsland bush fires that ran through our school camp
back in February so I am relying on one that a friend loaned me. Fingers
crossed .. 

Kaguya is a big spaceship. It masses 2,900 kg and will hit the Moon at
an oblique angle traveling approximately 6,000 km/hr. Whether it tumbles
and bounces along the lunar surface or runs headlong into some towering
crater wall, no one can say. Clues to the end of Kaguya will come on
June 10th in the form of an explosive flash (or lack thereof) and
high-res images of the crash site taken by future lunar orbiters.

If nothing happens, just wave your fist at the moon and get back to
writing reports.

Regards Roland

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: SpaceWeather.com <swlist at spaceweather.com>
Date: 2009/6/10
Subject: Japanese Spacecraft Set to Hit the Moon
To: "SpaceWeather.com" <swlist at spaceweather.com>

Space Weather News for June 10, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

IMPACT ALERT: Japan's Kaguya will crash into the Moon on Wednesday, June
10th, around 1830 UT. The timing favors observers in Asia and Australia,
who might be able to see a flash of light or a plume of debris rising
from the Moon's southeastern limb.  The spacecraft masses 2,600 kg and
it will slam into the lunar surface at 6,000 km/hr.  No one knows,
however, how bright the flash might be or whether it will be visible
even through large telescopes.  Images of the crash, if any are
captured, will be posted on http://spaceweather.com .

You are subscribed to the Space Weather mailing list, a free service of
Spaceweather.com.

New subscribers: To sign up for free space weather alerts, click here:
http://spaceweather.com/services/

-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret
Mead

-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret
Mead

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