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Credit & Copyright: David Palmer
(LANL)
Explanation:
Craters produced by ancient impacts on the
airless Moon have long been a
familiar sight.
But only since 1999 have observers seen elusive
optical flashes on the lunar surface -
likely explosions resulting from impacting meteoroids.
These startling
observations were made
with modest telescopes and video equipment
during the 1999 and 2001 Leonid meteor showers.
Six confirmed flashes,
some initially as bright as a third magnitude star,
were all seen within hours of the peak of the 1999 shower.
At least two
more lunar flashes,
the brightest one at about fourth magnitude,
have been confirmed
during this November's Leonid storm.
The 1999 locations
are indicated by the red Xs on the dark lunar
night side in this projection of the Moon from November 18 of that year.
Similar flashes would have been difficult to see
if
viewed against
the Moon's
brightly lit portion.
It is estimated that the flashes were made by
meteoroids with masses in the range of
1 to 10 kilograms, producing craters a few meters across.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Leonids 2001 - meteor shower - Moon - impact
Publications with words: Leonids 2001 - meteor shower - Moon - impact
See also: