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Date: 31 Aug 2006 22:13:27
From: canopus56
Subject: Visibility of Smart-1 impact
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Here's a site with an analysis of the visibility of the Smart-1 impact:
http://slrea-smart1lunar-impact-project-ing.blogspot.com/
In short, the impact itself (mag 17) will not be visual for small scopes.
There is a low probability that it will create a dust plume that might
reach up into the sunlight, resulting in illumination of the cloud to a mag
11 brightness. Mag 11 can be reached by most small scopes.
In short, not alot to get worked up about, but worth a peak.
Photographic (CCD or web cam taking images at 30 sec intervals) seems the
better way to go.
- Canopus56
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Date: 02 Sep 2006 09:44:39
From: John Carruthers
Subject: Re: Visibility of Smart-1 impact
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canopus56 wrote:
> Here's a site with an analysis of the visibility of the Smart-1 impact:
>
> http://slrea-smart1lunar-impact-project-ing.blogspot.com/
>
> In short, the impact itself (mag 17) will not be visual for small scopes.
> There is a low probability that it will create a dust plume that might
> reach up into the sunlight, resulting in illumination of the cloud to a mag
> 11 brightness. Mag 11 can be reached by most small scopes.
>
> In short, not alot to get worked up about, but worth a peak.
>
> Photographic (CCD or web cam taking images at 30 sec intervals) seems the
> better way to go.
>
> - Canopus56
Here in the UK the BBc are showing a graphic with an ~1/6 lunar radius
cloud ~1/8 lunar radius high looking around mag 8 :-)
Several calls "...will it be visible with naked eye/bins/etc" from
local radio stations.
jc
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Date: 02 Sep 2006 07:09:03
From: MAT
Subject: Re: Visibility of Smart-1 impact
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"canopus56" <canopus56@NOyahooSPAM.com > wrote in message
news:44f7b36b$0$11708$3a2ecee9@news.csolutions.net...
> Here's a site with an analysis of the visibility of the Smart-1 impact:
>
> http://slrea-smart1lunar-impact-project-ing.blogspot.com/
>
> In short, the impact itself (mag 17) will not be visual for small scopes.
> There is a low probability that it will create a dust plume that might
> reach up into the sunlight, resulting in illumination of the cloud to a
> mag 11 brightness. Mag 11 can be reached by most small scopes.
>
> In short, not alot to get worked up about, but worth a peak.
>
> Photographic (CCD or web cam taking images at 30 sec intervals) seems the
> better way to go.
>
> - Canopus56
>
>
>
OK thanks
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Date: 02 Sep 2006 17:10:14
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Visibility of Smart-1 impact
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John Carruthers wrote:
> Here in the UK the BBc are showing a graphic with an ~1/6 lunar radius
> cloud ~1/8 lunar radius high looking around mag 8 :-)
By the way, I was wondering you British were scheduling any web casts
on the impact that we could tap into. I believe you have a great
system of 2 meter educational scopes spread around the world. Heard of
any?
- Canopus56
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Date: 02 Sep 2006 13:21:19
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Visibility of Smart-1 impact
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John Carruthers wrote:
> Here in the UK the BBc are showing a graphic with an ~1/6 lunar radius
> cloud ~1/8 lunar radius high looking around mag 8 :-)
> Several calls "...will it be visible with naked eye/bins/etc" from
> local radio stations. jc
>From the smiley icon, I can see you are not taking it too seriously
either. -:)
That's the dust ejecta from a crater about _1 to 5 meters_ deep - which
is not alot of volume - spreadout over a 100-120km horizontal radius.
That will not be visual because it will be hidden in the dark limb. It
will be visual depending on how much of that ejecta cloud goes
vertical and peeks above the dark limb into the sunlight. How much of
that will occur, I don't know. But it's certainly worth a 5 minute
peak with binos or a scope, with the expectation that you probably
won't see anything.
So long to Smart-1. It's been a great satellite. Looking forward to
the ESA processing and releasing all the photos.
I hope Venus Express, which I understand has just completed its orbit
breaking manevuers, will be as successful.
- Canopus56
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