Lunar Meteoroid Impacts and How to Observe Them (eBook)

Cudnik_FM.pdf 1
Foreword 4
Introduction 9
Cudnik_Ch01.pdf 14
Chapter 1 15
Widespread Evidence 15
A Brief History of Impacts in the Early Solar System 15
The Impact that Built the Moon 18
A Brief Look at Some Other Significant Impacts 20
Are Impacts Still Happening Today? 27
Cudnik_Ch02.pdf 29
Chapter 2 29
Lunar Impact Features 29
Maria vs. Highland Craters 29
Young vs. Old Craters 30
Appearance vs. Size 33
How to Recognize Different Types of Features 36
Cudnik_Ch03.pdf 39
Chapter 3 39
Remarkable Collisions 39
Historic Impacts of Interest 39
The AD 1178 Lunar Impact Event 40
The Taurid Complex Objects 41
The “Lunar Flare” Event of 1953 42
Cudnik_Ch04.pdf 46
Chapter 4 46
Possible Impact Phenomena (PIPs) 46
Probable Appearance and Classification of PIPs 46
1955–2008: Additional Events1100–1993: Events Thought to Resemble Impacts of Meteoroids 54
Nonshower, Non-ALPO-Coordinated Impact Events 55
Random and Earthshine Events: 56
Events Documented 2000–2004 56
Nonshower Reports: 2005–2008 Impact Candidates 59
A Catalog of Coordinated and/or Shower-Related Events as Documented by ALPO and IOTA 59
Description of Event Quality 60
The Leonid Meteor Shower: 1999 Apparition 61
August 2000: Lunar Perseids 62
The Leonid Meteor Storms of 2001 63
The Perseid Meteor Shower: 12–14 August 2002 70
Observation Data for Kevin Wigell’s Candidate Events 70
Perseid Annual Shower, August 2004 72
Additional Shower-Related Impact Candidates 74
Impact Candidates Observed by the NASA-MSFC 81
Cudnik_Ch05.pdf 82
Chapter 5 82
Beyond the Moon 82
Target Jupiter: The Shoemaker-Levy 9 Multiple Impact Event 83
Crater Types and Morphologies Throughout the Solar System 85
Shapes and Features According to Size (Similar Surface Type) 85
Mercury vs. the Moon 85
Phobos and Deimos vs. the Moon 87
Minor Objects in the Solar System 88
Shapes and Features According to Surface Type 90
Rocky vs. Icy Surfaces 90
Ganymede and Callisto 90
Saturn’s Moons 93
Uranus’s Moons 97
The Influence of Impactor Characteristics 100
Atmosphere vs. No Atmosphere 101
Mars Craters 101
Triton 102
Meteor Showers on Other Worlds 102
Other Historic and Probable Impact Sightings on Other Worlds 103
Conclusions 106
Cudnik_Ch06.pdf 107
Chapter 6 108
Guide to Observing Impact Features on the Moon 108
Maria vs. Highland Cratering 110
Young vs. Old Craters 111
Geologic Law of Superposition and Relative Ages 112
Crater Counting 112
Physical Appearance of Features 113
Appearance vs. Size 113
How to Recognized Different Types of Features 115
A “Top 100” List of significant Impact Structures to Observe 118
A Link to Astronomical League Observing Clubs Related to the Moon 119
Cudnik_Ch07.pdf 120
Chapter 7 120
Impacts Today 120
Lunar Transient Phenomena and Lunar Meteoroid Impacts 120
Some Possible Causes of LTP 121
Narrowing Down the Causes of LTP to Three: Electrostatic Levitation, Tidal/Thermal Stresses, and Meteoroid Impacts 123
Impact Mechanics: The Physics of Crater-Making 125
By Eric Douglass 125
Indirect Evidence for Lunar Meteoritic Impact Events: The Apollo Lunar Seismic Program and the Moon’s Sodium Cloud 127
Cudnik_Ch08.pdf 130
Chapter 8 130
Lunar Impact Observation Programs 130
Past Campaigns 130
Current Programs 131
Space Missions that Impacted/Will Impact the Moon 132
Mission Statement of the ALPO Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search Program: A Vision of Lunar Impact Research 134
Cudnik_Ch09.pdf 136
Chapter 9 136
Observing Impacts as They Happen with Contributions by Many Members of the International Occultation Timing Association 136
Geometric Considerations and Preparations Needed for Making Observations 137
Techniques for Visual Observations 138
Techniques for Video Observations 139
Making the Observations: Focusing the CCD Video Camera 140
Keeping Accurate Time, Time Insertion, and Recovery 141
Twelve Examples of Observer Equipment Setup and Use 142
Introduction 142
Making the Observations: One Observer’s Example 147
Some Examples of Products and Resources 151
Introduction and Frame Stacking 151
CCD Video Camera Testimonials and Comparisons 152
The Usefulness of Wrätten 87C (Near-IR) Filters and Transmission-Type Diffraction Gratings 154
The Near-IR Filter 154
The Diffraction Grating 155
Frame Grabbers and AstroStack 156
Analog-to-Digital Conversion Devices (Composed of Information from George Varros and Members of IOTA) 157
Canopus ADV-55/110 Video Converter vs. Datavideo DAC-200 157
Other Analog-to-Digital Conversion Methods 158
USB vs. IEEE 1394 158
Putting it All Together: A Lunar Meteor Observing Plan 159
By Peter Gural 159
Conclusion 161
Cudnik_Ch10.pdf 162
Chapter 10 162
Finding Collisions 162
Automated Impact Detection Software 162
The Use of Registax for Automated Lunar Meteor Detection 163
By Roger Venable 163
Increasing the Probability of Detection with LunarScan 167
By Peter Gural and Brian Cudnik 167
An Automated Flash Detection Program 167
A Comprehensive Observation Program with LunarScan 169
Observation System Configuration 171
Conclusion-Further Notes on the Methodology for Observing Lunar Meteoroid Impacts 172
Cudnik_Ch11.pdf 174
Chapter 11 174
Spurious Flash or True Impact Event? 174
How to Identify True Lunar Meteoritic Impact Events 174
GLR Dark Test 174
Validation of Lunar Flashes: A Network of Observers for Simultaneous Patrols 177
Identification of the Flash Profiles 180
Single Observer Validation of Lunar Meteor Impacts 184
Conclusion 187
Cudnik_Ch12.pdf 189
Chapter 12 189
Professional and Amateur Collaboration 189
Introduction: Pro-Am Collaborations 189
Examples of Professional Research in Lunar Meteor Impacts 190
Introduction 190
Meteoric Flux Estimates, Luminous Efficiency, Hypervelocity Impact Studies, and the Frequency of Lunar Impact Events 191
Families of Meteoroids 193
The Moon’s Sodium Atmosphere 193
Meteoroid Impacts on Other Worlds 194
Advances in Amateur Lunar Meteor Observations 197
Introduction 197
New and Innovative Designs: The Tri-Splitter Camera 197
Remote Control Impacts-Robotic Telescopes: The University of Nottingham Robotic Telescope Project (By Dr. Anthony Cook, Univer 199
Looking Ahead: Some Closing Thoughts 201
Cudnik_BM.pdf 203
Appendices 204
Appendix A: References 204
Appendix B: Glossary 206
Appendix C: Impact Candidates Observed by ALPO/LMIS Likely to be Cosmic Ray Hits or Other Spurious Phenomena 215
Introduction 215
1999: Lunar Geminid Impact Candidates 215
May 2000: Lunar Eta Aquarid Impact Candidates 216
The Leonid Meteor Storms of 2001 217
The Perseid Meteor Shower: 12–14 August 2002 217
Appendix D: A Simple Method for Timing Videotaped Occultations (and Lunar Meteor Impact Flashes) 220
Introduction 220
System Requirements 220
System Setup 220
Hook-Up 221
Video Connection 221
Audio Connection 221
Setup PC for Recording 221
Windows Mixer Settings 221
PC Recording Software Settings 222
Timing the Occultation 222
Position Videotape for Recording 222
Record 222
“Mark” the Event 223
Calculating the Time for the Occultation Event 223
Conclusion 224
Appendix E: Equipment Checklist and Vendors 225
Appendix F: Details of Shortwave Time Signals for Astronomical Timings 228
Appendix G: Stellar Resources for Comparison and Calibration 231
Finding Limiting Magnitudes for Visual and Video Camera Observation 231
Appendix H: Impact Plots 235
Cudnik_Index.pdf 239