Marco wrote: > During the Leonid meteor storms of the past few years > several impacts on the Moon have been videotaped. > They created flashes on the dark side of the Moon ...
Ciel & Espace, No. 349 - Juin 1999, p. 17: Si, c'est possible ! Observer une chute de m�t�orites sur la Lune: une blague d'�tudiants de premi�re ann�e? Non, d'apr�s l'�quipe espagnole de J.L. Ortiz, c'est � la port�e des t�lescopes d'amateurs. Sur la Lune, en l'absence d'atmosph�re, les impacts de m�t�orites sont plus violents que sur Terre. Ils lib�rent donc bien plus d'�nergie: 20 millions de joules pour un bloc de 1 kg. Cela repr�sente, vu depuis la Terre, un flash de magnitude 9 � 15. Testant actuellement un t�lescope de 250 mm de diam�tre, l'�quipe espagnole aurait d�j� enregistr� plusieurs impacts, mesures qui restent cependant � confirmer. Selon J.L. Ortiz, les L�onides offriront en novembre une belle opportunit� de recherche pour les amateurs et professionnels. La Lune �tant en quartier, il suffira de surveiller les r�gions lunaires plong�es dans la nuit. Watching meteorites fall on the Moon - just a joke to impress first graders? No, says the study group of J.L. Ortiz - it is within reach of (modest) amateur telescopes. Because the Moon doesn't have a substantial atmosphere, meteorite impacts there are much more violent than here on Earth liberating much more energy: 20 million joules for a 1-kg block. As seen from the Earth, this would produce a flash of magnitude 9 to 15 (the faintest stars visible to the unaided eye in a non-polluted environment are about mag. 6). Tests that are being undertaken with a telescope of 250 mm aperture (a 10-inch scope) have yielded the first results. The Spanish team says they have already observed several impacts - this will still have to be confirmed. According to J.L. Ortiz, the Leonids in November will offer a suitable opportunity for research for both amateurs and professionals. As the Moon will be in its first-quarter, observing the regions that are still in the lunar dark will do the job. -------------------------------- Best Sunday morning regards, Bernd ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
