(meteorobs) Lunar Impact of Lyrid Meteor Shower
CHRISTINECissy at aol.com
CHRISTINECissy at aol.com
Fri Apr 21 02:17:34 EDT 2006
Source: _http://spaceweather.com_ (http://spaceweather.com)
April 20, 2006
The Moon will also encounter Comet Thatcher's dusty tail on April 22nd,
(source of the
annual Lyrid meteor shower), which raises an interesting possibility:
Amateur astronomers may be able to spot flashes of light on the Moon when comet
debris hits the lunar surface and explodes. All that's required is a backyard
telescope and lots of patience.
Want to try? Train your telescope on the dark side of the Moon, which rises
around 3 a.m. on Saturday: _sky map_
(http://spaceweather.com/images2006/22apr06/skymap_north.gif) . Lyrids will be raining down on the northern third of
the visible disk. In the eyepiece, watch for fleeting, point-like flashes.
Better yet, let a video camera do the watching for you. Brian Cudnik, who
coordinates _amateur observations_ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-impact/)
of lunar impacts for the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers,
explains _how_ (http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/lunarstuff/observing) at:
_http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/%7Erhill/alpo/lunarstuff/observing_
(http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/lunarstuff/observing)
Best wishes,
Chris
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