View this page "Questions Answered by LCROSS Scientists"

[Jim Mosher]

I have added a new section of "questions it would be nice to ask" at
the end of the page:

Click on http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/web/questions-answered-by-lcross-scientists
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.

The first new question is prompted by the discrepancy Kurt has
noticed:

http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/web/finders

between the list of possible impact sites presented on the web (the
list to which amateurs were directed in response to a specific
question about Hermite A -- previous question #13), and the list to be
presented at a public meeting next month.

-- Jim

[cano...@yahoo.com]

Jim, I'm less worried about the differing stories on what the impact
sites are or will be. There is a consistent narrative. LCROSS held a
meeting in Feb. 2008 to narrow down the original list of ten. I
understood in December that the four site list was the outcome of the
Feb. 2008 meeting. In his "Moon 101" lecture, I believe one of
Bussey's slides says something to the effect that "Shackleton is
out". But here it is back again.

But considering the background that the LCROSS Team is getting:

a) new images from Kayuga;
b) new mini-RF data from Channdrayn(sp?); and,
c) and, will be getting two or three months of data from LRO while
LCROSS-EDUS is in its cruise orbit,

- it makes sense that they are keeping a long-list open. Everything
will depend on hopefully locating a hypothesized surface exposed ice
layer or (using mini-RF) one buried just beneath the surface.

As a practical matter for amateur imaging of the poles, the Images
Specifications request was IMHO broad enough to cover both the western
and eastern sides of the each pole. Having Hermite A and Cabeus on a
potential target list on the west side of each respective pole just
give more incentive or reason for amateurs to cover both sides of the
poles with imaging over the next few of months.

Regards, Kurt

P.S. - Recommend gathering unanswered and newly proposed questions
into a top level page titled "Questions for LCROSS Team Members if you
stop by" or something to that effect. If an LCROSS Team members does
have a few minutes to drop in, they might see the page and just type
in the answers.

On Feb 10, 5:57 pm, Jim Mosher <jimmos...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have added a new section of "questions it would be nice to ask" at
> the end of the page:
>

> Click onhttp://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/web/questions-answe...

[Jim Mosher]

I have added to the end of this page the answers to three follow-up
questions, received by e-mail from Dr. Heldmann on February 11th.
These include a table of LCROSS impact dates and locations currently
under consideration for various possible LRO launch dates.

Click on http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/web/questions-answered-by-lcross-scientists?hl=en

[Tony]

I quick note on the "crater list"....yes we are holding on to as long
as a crater list as possible until 30 days prior to impact (when we
make the final impact site call). The reason for this is the fact
pointed out here: we continue to get smarter about the moon's poles.
We are using every possible resource, including new ground based radar
(Goldstone and Arecibo), Kaguya data (altimetry and hopefully soon
terrain camera data), Chandrayann radar, and yes, ultimately LRO
data. The impact site is heavily over constrained. We must meet
requirements for ground and space based observations, Shepherding SC
observations (specifically impact angle and local illumination),
impact target properties requirements (e.g., slopes, blockiness, H
content, topo masking), and mission constraints (e.g., launch date and
fuel constraints). Based on what we haves seen to date we have thrown
our several targets from the "GO" list, including "Crater C" in the
north and Cabeus (Crater C was eliminated due to steep target slopes
and Cabeus has been eliminated due to its extreme topo masking).
Shackleton is on the "if we have to list". We are now looking at
additional "low latitude" targets in the south to replace Cabeus. We
will try to keep the group informed.

> > -- Jim- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[cano...@yahoo.com]

Dr. Colaprete,

Thanks for stopping in and providing more clarifications. Jim, do you
want to go ahead and make the appropriate update note to the "Finders"
page?

- Kurt

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Jim Mosher]

Tony,

Thanks for the additional information.

In connection with Question 16:

http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/web/questions-answered-by-lcross-scientists#16

Dr. Heldmann kindly provided a sample impact planning chart for launch
dates in April-July 2009:

http://lcross_observation.googlegroups.com/web/HeldmanEmail_2009Feb11_ImpactDates_Picture_10.GIF

I've been puzzling over the significance of the sub-table at the
bottom of the page. In that sub-table there is a column for each of
the ten targets with a series of dates listed under it. I understand
it's related to the main table by the color coding, and when a date is
color-coded in the main table it falls in one of the ranges in the sub-
table; but I'm at a loss as to what the other dates represent, and how
they are used.

Any help understanding the use of the sub-table, or the significance
of the dates listed in it, would be much appreciated.

-- Jim