Kicking
up Moon Dust, Looking for Water
At 7:30AM on Friday October 9, 2009 the spent
Centaur upper stage rocket booster will crash into the south pole
crater Cabeus of the earth's moon Luna making a small crater and
throwing up dust. Following four minutes behind this, the
Shepherding Spacecraft (LCROSS Lunar Crater Observation & Sensing
Satellite) will fly through the debris plume, collecting and relying
back data to earth before itself creating a second debris
plume. It is looking for water in the cold shadowed Cabeus
crater that has not seen sun light for billions of years unlike most of
the rest of the moon. We know from previous measurement that
there is hydrogen there, but is it water ice in the rocks or other
hydrates and how much. This well help determine whether people
can return to the moon and stay with purpose for longer times.
This is a search for natural resources that may allow people to go to
the moon and not just put a foot down briefly for political reasons as
was done in the past. Columbus rebuilt his ships when he reached
land previously unknown to the Europeans and immediately got fresh
water before that. Water enable lots of activities.
If it is clear we may point a telescope at the moon, but sunrise is at
7:11AM and the sky will already be two bright around the moon for us to
see the debris plume. People an hour or two west of here will not
have this problem at 7:30AM Eastern Day Light time with larger armature
telescopes. Many eyes will be trained on the moon then and ours
will be pointing at it via the Internet in the planetarium. If
enough water is found this will be very important. Maybe the most
important experiment done by NASA in 50 years; and they have done lots
of important experiments. It is one thing to suspect that
something is true, it is another thing to measure it, and to make sure
before you take the next step. This is more exciting than black
holes, dark matter, far away galaxies, other planets, Higgs bosons, or
almost anything else in astronomy, astrophysics, or physics in general
for it possible effect on people within the next few generations.
You are walking, talking, bags of water. Water is very
important! If you want to ever take the next step. It is
necessary to go or build any where.
LCROSS
Live Broadcast!
NASA TV
broadcast!
Montgomery
College's Planetarium home page
Web page by Dr. Harold Alden Williams.
Last changed 10:07PM October 8, 2009.