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Re: (meteorobs) Re; Lunar impacts





Terry Richardson wrote:

> >David & all,
> >>      Surely the HST could watch the moon for impacts.    Although it is
> down to two gyros from six, two should be enough for the
> >Hubble to get a fix on the moon.
>
> Actually it is three. To fix a point in space you need 3 coordinates, x, y,
> z and hence three gyros.
> The Hubble is defunct without repair.

Terry,
    Are you guessing, like me?

    If you have two co-ordinates, you have the third, as the perpendicular of
the plane formed by the two you have.

    It may be that the two remaining gyros are the same axis, which would mean
no second co-ordinate, hence no third co-ordinate.

    On further thought, I think a good telescope (eg HST) might be able to
pick up lunar impacts on the lit side of the moon, but perhaps more by
observing the shadow of the dust cloud than the impact itself. This would be
more obvious with long shadows near the terminator.

    Stuart

    In Astronomy Veritas
    (shaddup, and pass the Vino!)



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