New Impact Simulation

[MoonThumper]

Tony Colaprete has provided a simulation that shows the anticipated
view from the LCROSS Shepherding Spacecraft’s NIR camera looking at
the expanding plume from the Centaur impact as the Shepherding
Spacecraft approaches Cabeus. Download at:
http://www.lcross.arc.nasa.gov/resources/impact-view-S-SC-expectations-100509.pptx

[canopus56]

I do not own Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 and therefore was unable to
read this file. If someone could download the zip, port the
presentation to a PowerPoint 2003 and/or pdf file and then repost it
in the files section, it would be appreciated. It appears to contain
and animation, so a port-to-pdf may not capture the intended
functionality. - Clear Skies - Kurt

> Spacecraft approaches Cabeus. Download at:http://www.lcross.arc.nasa.gov/resources/impact-view-S-SC-expectation...

[canopus56]

Thanks to Tom M. who uploaded a pdf version of the simulation. -
Kurt

Link to files section file
http://tinyurl.com/ycpuuug

> > Spacecraft approaches Cabeus. Download at:http://www.lcross.arc.nasa.gov/resources/impact-view-S-SC-expectation...- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Jim Mosher]

It may be helpful to note that in Tony's NASA Goddard/LOLA overhead
images, the view from Earth at impact will be essentially from the
left (and highly foreshortened). The shadows in the impact region,
cast roughly top to bottom in the overhead views, will extend roughly
parallel to the Moon's limb as seen from Earth.

I have prepared a couple of attachments which may help those
unfamiliar with the region relate what is seen in the Goddard/LOLA
simulations to what will be seen from Earth. As a point of reference,
the prominent, bright shadow-casting peak to the right of center in
the overhead views is what Ewen Whitaker named "M1".

According to the earlier NASA Goddard/LOLA simulated Earth views with
the yardstick, the LCROSS impact point, and some of the first sunlit
ejecta, will be hidden by the flank of this peak. Also from Earth, M1
will be seen with a shadow on its limbward side, that will serve as a
backdrop for the LCROSS impact plume. Strangely, this shadow seen at
the foot of M1 is not the obvious and very prominent one cast by M1
itself (which in the overhead simulation extends down from the
mountain towards the "unnamed crater"), but rather the smaller pool of
shadow to the left of center in the simulations, cast by segments of
Cabeus' western rim (see first labeled attachment).

For comparison, the second attachment identifies comparable features
on a detail from Mario Wiegand's full disk mosaic from last October,
remapped to the geometry expected from Southern California:

http://www.skytrip.de/monvid241c.htm

It was taken with nearly identical lighting and libration in latitude,
and illustrates the extreme foreshortening seen from Earth. The large
shadow from M1 is mostly hidden, becoming prominent only as it
approaches the unnamed crater near the bottom of the frames (note that
with the Sun at nearly the same azimuth and just 0.1° lower in
altitude, Mario did not observe this crater to be nearly as much
encircled by sunlight as the LOLA simulations seem to suggest -- so
there is a possibility that some of the preliminary LOLA data are not
completely accurate).

Sandwiched between M1 and the prominent limb peak M5, one sees from
Earth the Cabeus rim shadow labeled in the first attachment. According
to Tony's simulations, at the height where dust encounters sunlight,
the expanding LCROSS ejecta curtain will still be far from the edge of
this shadow even after 120 seconds; however, higher elevation parts of
the cloud (closer to M1) will presumably be seen in projection against
this shadow.

--

I don't know what the weather predictions may have said, but it was
reasonably clear here is coastal Southern California this morning, and
I found the impact area quite easy to locate, even through a 4-inch
telescope. One really need do nothing more than scan the south polar
limb looking for M5 (easily recognized on the otherwise rather smooth
limb by its proximity to the somewhat smaller M4, which terminates a
long level stretch). Then look in onto the disk for the first
prominent shadow. With somewhat more effort, M1 can then be
recognized at the "inboard" edge of this impact area shadow, and
(after using nearby features for verification if necessary) the flank
of M1 on the side closest to M4 can be easily identified. Anything
related to the LCROSS impact that can be seen from Earth will
presumably be most easily perceived against this shadowed area,
starting roughly where the "Impact (M1)" arrow ends.

--

Incidentally, I have posted a couple of extra LTVT remappings of
Mario's photo simulating what the M1-M5 area will look like tomorrow
from my location, both in a "normal" equatorial view and in the
mirror-reversed altitude-azimuth view that I actually see:

http://ltvt.wikispaces.com/LCROSS+Impact#TargetCrater

--

Good luck to all of those who have a chance to observe tomorrow!

-- Jim

[Tom Munnecke]

I thought it would add to the experience to have some music playing during the impact, so I asked composer Kevin MacLeod to compose a piece to be played during the impact...

You'll need to start the music exactly 11 minutes before the impact to synchronize the music and countdown to the impact.

You can download the music from:

http://cosmosresearch.org/?p=69

[Tom Munnecke]

Here is the PDF version of the file
https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZW9Ea3NURndOMUEwTVE9PQ

(Google mail wouldn't let me send the 5 mb file directly, so I had to use the YouSendIt download service.  Just click on the above link, then the "Download" button.

On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 3:18 PM, Tom Munnecke <munn...@gmail.com> wrote:

here's a PDF version.

[luis martinez]

Jim,

 

Once again your expertise and experience has provided us newer folks invaluable imaging guidance. If I have any success tonight/tomorrow it will be due to folks like yourself, Clif and others who have been generous with your time and experience. To all, thanks.

 

15 hours to impact... "Lux Ex Tenebris !"

 

Luis

[Jason Kendall]

Just in case, I also uploaded it to my personal website:

http://www.damuse.com/LCROSS/

Jason

> Spacecraft approaches Cabeus. Download at:http://www.lcross.arc.nasa.gov/resources/impact-view-S-SC-expectation...