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(meteorobs) Plans for monitoring the Moon's dark side for impacts

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 09:00:37 -0500
From: Dr Anthony Cook <tcook@nasmdot sidot edu>
To: Brian Cudnik <cudnik@flashdot net>
CC: dunham@erols.com, gvarros@clarkdot net
Subject: Earthsine observing plans

If anybody is interested in trying - I will be attempting
to detect impact flashes in Earthshine between now and 7th of Jan.
My observing schedule (weather & balcony permitting) will be:

Thu Dec 28 EST 17:00-18:00
Fri Dec 29 EST 17:00-19:00
Sat Dec 30 EST 17:00-20:00
Sun Dec 31 EST 17:00-21:00
Mon Jan 01 EST 18:00-22:00
Tue Jan 02 EST 18:30-23:00
Wed Jan 03 EST 19:00-24:00
Thu Jan 04 EST 20:00-25:00
Fri Jan 05 EST 21:00-25:00
Sat Jan 06 EST 22:00-25:00
Sun Jan 07 EST 23:00-25:00

Last month's attempt - of which I have analysed 4 hours of video
tape (some hours still to be checked) revealed:

1) just one candidate impact flash that appeared on 2 consecutive frames
   and was spread over a few pixels. I haven't heard of any 
   independent observation of this - so it might be genuine or
   might be the effects of a really powerful cosmic ray striking the
   CCD? The flash took place at 2000 Dec 04 00:42:20UTC @ 
   location 46+/-3W, 32+/-3S. I still have to determine its
   magnitude - but it was faint, perhaps 8th or 9th mag?

2) one aircraft flying past the Moon : pretty impressive footage
   of the lamp on the wing tip, turbulance & contrails passing
   across the Moon.

3) a brief (few sec) flash of sunglint off a solar panel of
   the Raduga 16 (#15946, 85070A) - a Russian/Soviet geostationary
   early warning satellite: Raduga 16 (#15946, 85070A)
   2000 Dec 03 2000 @ 00:28:56UTC. First time I have recorded
   anything like this - it clearly wasn't an impact flash because
   it was just off the limb, wasn't brief enough, and was at a fixed
   altitude/elevation in the sky.

Good luck for the new year


Tony




-- 
Dr Anthony C. Cook,  Center for Earth and Planetary Studies,
National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, 
Washington D.C. 20560-0315.  
Fax. (USA) 202 786 2566     	 Tel. (USA) 202 633 9748

Joan and David Dunham
7006 Megan Lane
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 474-4722
dunham@erols.com
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