Lunar Meteoroid Impacts and How to Observe Them

Lunar Meteoroid Impacts and How to Observe Them PDF Author: Brian Cudnik
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441903232
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
The face of the Moon we see today has been substantially etched by the effects of meteor impacts. Craters on the Moon are the result of ancient impacts with large meteorites - or small asteroid-like bodies - which produced both primary craters (where the meteorites hit) and secondary craters (where material hurled high above the surface crashed back down). Even some of the vast lunar "seas" - actually basalt plains from ancient volcanic eruptions - may have been the result of impacts that triggered lava outflows. The era of major impacts on the Moon may have passed, but lunar meteorites may well be the cause of what are known as Lunar Transient Phonomena ("LTP" or sometimes "TLP") flashes and puffs of gas or vaporized rock or dust that are observed on the Moon's surface. This book looks at the way the Moon has been shaped by meteorites, proposes lunar meteorites as the most likely cause of most LTPs and describes in practical detail how amateur astronomers can observe impacts on the Moon, past and current.

Lunar Meteoroid Impacts and How to Observe Them

Lunar Meteoroid Impacts and How to Observe Them PDF Author: Brian Cudnik
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441903232
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Get Book Here

Book Description
The face of the Moon we see today has been substantially etched by the effects of meteor impacts. Craters on the Moon are the result of ancient impacts with large meteorites - or small asteroid-like bodies - which produced both primary craters (where the meteorites hit) and secondary craters (where material hurled high above the surface crashed back down). Even some of the vast lunar "seas" - actually basalt plains from ancient volcanic eruptions - may have been the result of impacts that triggered lava outflows. The era of major impacts on the Moon may have passed, but lunar meteorites may well be the cause of what are known as Lunar Transient Phonomena ("LTP" or sometimes "TLP") flashes and puffs of gas or vaporized rock or dust that are observed on the Moon's surface. This book looks at the way the Moon has been shaped by meteorites, proposes lunar meteorites as the most likely cause of most LTPs and describes in practical detail how amateur astronomers can observe impacts on the Moon, past and current.

Lunar Meteoroid Impacts and How to Observe Them

Lunar Meteoroid Impacts and How to Observe Them PDF Author: Brian Cudnik
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441903240
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
The genesis of modern searches for observable meteoritic phenomena on the Moon is the paper by Lincoln La Paz in Popular Astronomy magazine in 1938. In it he argued that the absence of observed fashes of meteoritic impacts on the Moon might be interpreted to mean that these bodies are destroyed as luminous meteors in an extremely rarefed lunar atmosphere. The paper suggested the possibility of systematic searches for such possible lunar meteors. With these concepts in mind, I was surprised to note a transient moving bright speck on the Moon on July 10, 1941. It appeared to behave very much as a lunar meteor would – except that the poorly estimated duration would lead to a strongly hyperbolic heliocentric velocity. Thus, the idea of systematic searches for both p- sible lunar meteors and meteoritic impact fashes was born. It was appreciated that much time might need to be expended to achieve any positive results. Systematic searches were carried out by others and myself chiefy in the years 1945–1965 and became a regular program at the newly founded Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, or ALPO.

Lunar Sourcebook

Lunar Sourcebook PDF Author: Grant Heiken
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521334440
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 796

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Book Description
The only work to date to collect data gathered during the American and Soviet missions in an accessible and complete reference of current scientific and technical information about the Moon.

Advances in Meteoroid and Meteor Science

Advances in Meteoroid and Meteor Science PDF Author: J.M. Trigo-Rodriguez
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387784195
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 534

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Book Description
This rigorously refereed volume is a compilation of articles that summarize the most recent results in meteor, meteoroid and related fields presented at the Meteoroids 2007 conference held at the impressive CosmoCaixa Science Museum in Barcelona, Spain.

The Moon

The Moon PDF Author: Bill Leatherbarrow
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 1780239556
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
The moon has always been the most obvious feature in our night sky. It is our nearest celestial neighbour, orbiting the earth at an average distance of 384,400 kilometers, and is large enough to display significant detail even to the unaided eye. Our moon has drawn observers since the dawn of humankind, and all people have tried to make sense of the puzzles it poses and the questions it raises. The moon provided our ancient ancestors with one of the earliest means of keeping and measuring time, and many early religions had cults that worshipped it. When it eclipses the sun it provides one of the most awe-inspiring views in nature. In The Moon, celebrated amateur astronomer Bill Leatherbarrow provides expert insight into the history of our study of this compelling astronomical body. Drawing on his own decades of lunar observation, he describes how and why the observation and study of the moon has evolved, particularly in the age of telescopic study. He also offers an overview of current scientific thinking and developments in lunar science since the advent of the Space Age, even providing practical advice on how to make your own observations of the moon. Extensively illustrated with images of the lunar surface taken both from spacecraft and using amateur equipment, this book is an accessible introduction to complex astrophysical concepts that will give all amateur astronomers and anyone fascinated by this natural satellite something to moon over.

Celestial Shadows

Celestial Shadows PDF Author: John Westfall
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1493915355
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 727

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Book Description
Much of what is known about the universe came from the study of celestial shadows. This book looks in detail at the way eclipses and other celestial shadows have given us amazing insights into the nature of the objects in our solar system and how they are even helping us discover and analyze planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. A variety of eclipses, transits, and occultations of the mooons of Jupiter and Saturn, Pluto and its satellite Charon, asteroids and stars have helped astronomers to work out their dimensions, structures, and shapes - even the existence of atmospheres and structures of exoplanets. Long before Columbus set out to reach the Far East by sailing West, the curved shadow of the Earth on the Moon during a lunar eclipse revealed that we inhabit a round world, a globe. More recently, comparisons of the sunlit and Earthlit parts of the Moon have been used to determine changes in the Earth's brightness as a way of monitoring possible effects in cloud coverage which may be related to global warming. Shadows were used by the Greek mathematician Eratosthenes to work out the first estimate of the circumference of the Earth, by Galileo to measure the heights of the lunar mountains and by eighteenth century astronomers to determine the scale of the Solar System itself. Some of the rarest and most wonderful shadows of all are those cast onto Earth by the lovely "Evening Star" Venus as it goes between the Earth and the Sun. These majestic transits of Venus occur at most two in a century; after the 2012 transit, there is not a chance to observe this phenomenon until 2117, while the more common sweep of a total solar eclipse creates one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring events of nature. Though it may have once been a source of consternation or dread, solar eclipses now lead thousands of amateur astronomers and "eclipse-chasers" to travel the globe in order to experience the dramatic view under "totality." These phenomena are among the most spectacular available to observers and are given their full due in Westfall and Sheehan's comprehensive study.

Getting a Feel for Lunar Craters

Getting a Feel for Lunar Craters PDF Author: David Hurd
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Braille books
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Book Description
The phases bring the Moon to life and highlight the complex moonscape of hills and ridges and dark and light areas. This book is designed to give you the basics about the craters that are found on the Moon.

Faint Objects and How to Observe Them

Faint Objects and How to Observe Them PDF Author: Brian Cudnik
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441967575
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Faint Objects and How to Observe Them is for visual observers who are equipped with a 10-inch or larger astronomical telescope and who want to "go deep" with their observing. It provides a guide to some of the most distant, dim, and rarely observed objects in the sky, supported by background information on surveys and objects lists - some familiar, such as Caldwell, and some not so familiar. This book not only provides a wealth of experience compiled from several sources, but it also gives an historical background to surveys whose names may or may not be familiar to most amateur astronomers. Finally, it includes a listing of the many galaxy clusters out there, from "nearby" ones such as Stefan's Quintet to some of the most distant groups observable through the largest telescopes.

The Earth-Moon System as a Dynamical Laboratory

The Earth-Moon System as a Dynamical Laboratory PDF Author: Elisa Maria Alessi
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889630447
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 156

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Book Description
The Earth-Moon neighborhood is the scene of a large variety of applications that concern asteroids, lunar exploration and space debris in Earth orbit. In particular, recent efforts by the scientific community have focused on the possibility of extending the human operations beyond the radiation belts; of exploiting in-situ resources, either on the lunar surface or on asteroids retrieved to the vicinity of the Earth; and of mitigating the space debris concern by taking advantage of the lunar perturbation. The characteristic dynamics in the cislunar space represents an opportunity for the mission designer, but also a challenge in terms of theoretical understanding and operational control. This Research Topic covers the Earth-Moon dynamics in its complexity and allure, considering the most relevant aspects for both natural and artificial objects, in order to get a new comprehension of the dynamics at stake along with the operational procedures that can handle it.

Comets and How to Observe Them

Comets and How to Observe Them PDF Author: Richard Schmude, Jr.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441957901
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
Comets have inspired wonder, excitement and even fear ever since they were first observed. But they are important members of the solar system, that contain material from early in the life of the system, held in deep-freeze. This makes them key in our understanding of the formation and evolution of many Solar System bodies. Recent ground- and space-based observations have changed much in our understanding of comets. Comets, and How to Observe Them gives a summary of our current knowledge and describes how amateur astronomers can contribute to the body of scientific knowledge of comets. This book contains many practical examples of how to construct comet light-curves, measure how fast a comet’s coma expands, and determine the rotation period of the nucleus. All these examples are illustrated with drawings and photographs. Because of their unpredictable nature comets are always interesting and sometime spectacular objects to observe and image. The second part of the book therefore takes the reader through the key observing techniques that can be used with commercially available modern observing equipment, from basic observations to more scientific measurements.