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(meteorobs) lunar Impacts
When and where in the moon we have to look them? Can we see them with
binoculars?
Brian Cudnik of ALPO has a web site devoted to lunar meteoroid impacts and
their observation. For a diagram of what area on the Moon's surface to
search for impacts this November see the following web site. Ignor the
first plot as that is for the Leonids in 1999 - scroll down a bit in 2001
until you get to the Leonids plot for this coming November.
http://www.lpl.arizonadot edu/~rhill/alpo/lunarstuff/moonhits2001.htm
As far as the time of observation is concerned we would like observations
from periods other than the peak time of meteoroid flux (just as in visual
meteor observations). So for the brief period this year that the Moon's
cresent is above your local horizon go out and observe ! They should be
visible in binoculars but I would recommend a steady mount if possible.
They are of EXTREMELY short duration (less than 25 milliseconds) and
analysis of David Dunham's videotapes from the Leonids of 1999 indicates
magnitude ranges of 4th or fainter. The preferred observation technique is
with a lunar rate tracking telescope and CCD frame rate video camera at
prime focus recording the information on videotape with accurate time stamp,
mark, or audio (WWV). However, casual observations with binoculars is also
good and if you see a flash record the time to the nearest second. This
will help verify observations taken by video observers whose detections can
very often be contaminated with cosmic ray hits on the CCD camera which look
notoriously like impact flashes. This year the Moon sets very early in the
evening, several hours before the Leonid radiant rises locally and thus your
lunar observations will not interfere with the later big show from the
Leonids in our own atmosphere.
Pete Gural
Sterling, Virginia
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