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Last January, astronomers managed to capture the moment when a space rock hit the moon during a total lunar eclipse. We are now learning more about this unprecedented event, including the speed of the offending object and the extreme temperatures reached by the impact.
Our Moon is regularly hit by debris left behind by the formation of the solar system. But our natural satellite does not have a proper atmosphere, so that celestial objects of different sizes are not hindered and penetrate the lunar surface at an incredible speed. Astronomers have managed to capture the lunar impact over the years, but that captured during the total lunar eclipse of January 21, 2019 represented a first for science.
A new study published at the end of last week in the Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices sheds new light on this unique event, including up-to-date estimates of the speed and size of the meteoroid, amount of energy expelled during the impact and size of the new lunar crater.
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For the main authors of the new study, José Madiedo of the University of Huelva and José Ortiz of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, the event was the only one of its kind. culmination of years of preparation, not to mention a lot of patience. Madiedo and Ortiz are collaborating on the Moon Impact Detection and Analysis System (MIDAS), which uses a series of telescopes and software to detect when a meteoroid strikes darkened parts of the lunar surface. MIDAS telescopes are equipped with high-sensitivity video cameras (the system can detect brief flashes of 0.001 seconds), as well as photometric filters to determine the temperatures produced by impacts.
MIDAS has managed to capture many lunar impacts since the system came into service in the late 1990s, but the flash captured during the total lunar eclipse last January – those precious and fleeting moments where Earth casts a shadow across the moon's surface. This was a first for the project.
"It is the first time that an impact flash is recorded unambiguously during a lunar eclipse and discussed in the scientific literature, and the first time that flash observations of the first time were made. lunar impact in more than two wavelengths are reported, "wrote the authors of the new study. . As previously reported, MIDAS telescopes captured the event at several light wavelengths or in different light colors, thus producing a high fidelity view of the impact.
An added benefit is that telescopes around the world have been trained on the Moon at this very moment, providing a wealth of data that has been used in the new analysis.
Agree, on the good things – the actual results.
The impact caused a flash that lasted very briefly 0.28 seconds. He became as bright as a star of magnitude 4.2, which meant he was visible to the naked eye. The space rock struck the Moon near the Lagrange H crater, which is near the southwest branch or visible edge of the Moon.
The meteoroid weighed about 45 kilograms, which is a little less than 100 pounds. It measured between 30 and 60 centimeters in diameter (11.8 to 23.6 inches). Previously, the researchers had estimated the object at about 10 kg (22 pounds), so it was heavier than originally planned.
When the meteoroid struck the moon, it was traveling at 61,000 km / h (37,900 mph). The energy released by the impact was equivalent to 1.5 tons (1.65 US tons). The debris that spewed after the collision reached a temperature of 5,400 degrees Celsius (9,752 degrees Fahrenheit), a temperature comparable to the sun's surface. The resulting crater is now 15 meters wide.
"It would be impossible to reproduce these high-speed collisions in a laboratory on Earth," Madiedo said in a press release. "Observing lightning is a great way to test our ideas on what exactly happens when a meteorite collides with the moon."
Although fascinating, these discoveries have a practical aspect of good. In addition to learning more about the Earth-Earth environment, scientists can use this information to assess the safety of the lunar surface for future explorers and their habitats.
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