[meteorite-list] SMART-1 Impact: Last Call For Ground Based Observations

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Aug 17 12:13:45 2006
Message-ID: <200608171611.JAA28218_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMTU0Z7QQE_index_0.html

SMART-1 impact: last call for ground based observations
European Space Agency
17 August 2006

If you are a professional or amateur astronomer and want to contribute
to the final phase of the SMART-1 mission, join ESA on the impact ground
observation campaign.
 
Like most of its lunar predecessors, SMART-1 will conclude its
scientific observations of the Moon through a small impact on the lunar
surface. This is planned to take place in the lunar Lake of Excellence,
located at mid-southern latitudes. A trim manoeuvre at the end of July
has determined that the impact will most likely occur on 3 September
2006 at 07:41 CEST (05:41 UT), or at 02:36 CEST (00:36 UT) on the
previous orbit due to uncertainties in the detailed knowledge of the
lunar topography.

If impacting on 3 Sept at 07:41 CEST, SMART-1 will touch the Moon at the
lunar coordinates 36.44?? South and 46.25?? West. If impacting on 3
September at 02:36 CEST the lunar coordinates will be 36.4?? South and
43.5?? West.

The Lake of Excellence is very interesting from the scientific point of
view ??? it is a volcanic plain area surrounded by highlands, but also
characterised by ground mineral heterogeneities.

???We call for ground-based observations mostly to study impact physics,
the release of spacecraft volatiles, and the lofted soil mineralogy,???
says Bernard Foing , SMART-1 Project Scientist at ESA. ???We look for fast
imaging of the impact and of the associated ejected material, and for
spectroscopic analysis, for example to find hints about the mineralogy
of the impact area.???

???Even if the impact at 2 kilometres per second is of modest energy, the
plume might be observable if it reaches sunlight, with an amateur
telescope or binoculars,??? continues Foing. ???For sites not covering the
time of impact, we ask for context observations before and after impact
to look for the ejecta blanket???.

A number of worldwide observatories have already confirmed their
participation to the campaign. They include the network of VLBI Very
Long Baseline Interferometry and radio observatories, the South African
Large Telescope SALT, the Calar Alto observatory in Andalucia, Spain,
the ESA OGS Optical Ground Station at Tenerife, Spain, the CEA Cariri
observatory in Brazil, the Argentina National Telescope, the Florida
Tech Robotic telescopes, NASA IRTF and Japanese telescopes at Hawaii, as
well as a number of professional and amateur astronomy telescopes around
the world, and the ODIN observatory from space.

ESA invites the scientific community and amateur astronomers to join in
the observation campaign. For more information follow this link
<http://sci.esa.int/smart1impact>.

For more information

Bernard Foing, ESA SMART-1 Project Scientist
Email: Bernard.Foing _at_ esa.int
Received on Thu 17 Aug 2006 12:11:01 PM PDT