Join NASA's LCROSS Observation Campaign. Observations by amateur astronomers will help refine new protocols for observing the moon and increase our knowledge of the moon.


NASA's LCROSS mission was launched on June 18, 2009. It is co-manifested with LRO; both missions will launch together aboard an Atlas V out of Cape Canaveral, Fla. LCROSS will use the Centaur upper stage of the launch vehicle as a kinetic impactor directed at 2.5 km/s into one of the permanently-shadowed craters at the Moon's South Pole. The LCROSS spacecraft will fly directly through the resulting plume of debris, analyzing it for signs of water ice that may have accumulated within the crater. The debris plume will also be studied by space-based assets (such as LRO, and HST), ground-based observatories, and amateur telescopes. Researchers believe that the LCROSS impact plume may well be observable in amateur telescopes, and that amateurs may be able to take on a valuable role in this exciting mission. The impact is currently projected to occur on October 9, 2009, at 11:30 UT.

This group is designed to facilitate amateur participation in the LCROSS mission, posting and sharing images that will be of scientific value before launch, during flight, and during impact.

Please start by reading the Campaign Overview document in the files section to learn how to participate.

New as of Sept 1, 2009:

Since the storage capacity of the LCROSS Google Groups for large files and images is limited, a new site has been created to gather photos, exposure information, comments etc. related to the LCROSS IMPACT.  The NASA site is now available at:http://apps.nasa.gov/lcross/You will have to "Sign In" and "Register for an Account" the first time in.LCROSS Google Groups will REMAIN the primary tool for discussions (and there have been some great ones!)  Please continue to use Google Groups as you have been. However, pre-impact data and photos that have been posted on Google Groups may find use on the new site.  We ask that Google Group Members that have posted relevant photos and information now re-post some of their info to the new site.  Please constrain the information to impact-relevant content -- i.e. South Pole images, not North Pole, etc.