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The latest update on developments concerning the Leonid MAC airborne campaigns.


Update December 01, 2001

train spectrum

Impact on the Moon by D. Palmer (USA)

IMPACTS ON THE MOON!

Despite the young age of the Moon, numerous reports have come in that Moon impacts were readily visible this year. Two impacts have now been confirmed from multiple sites. A list of possible impacts is given below. More impacts may be recognized in the video records later. Leonid MAC participant Peter Gural has developed software to recognize such flashes from video records.

The image above by David Palmer is perhaps the brightest impact flash on the Moon that was recorded on video records during this year's Leonid shower. The flash occurred at 00:18:58 UTC (Nov. 19) and lasted 1/10th sec. For the first time, the intensity was observed to fade with time. The Moon was only 3 degrees above the horizon for observer Tony Cook, who confirmed the impact. The same flash was recorded by David Dunham from a third independent location. At least one other impact has thus been confirmed.

train spectrum

A Spanish group led by J. L. Ortiz of the Instituto de Astrofÿýsica de Andalucÿýa observed several impacts with small telescopes. Efforts at larger telescopes were again prevented by bad weather. Two results are shown to the right. The brightest impact flash was recorded on Nov. 18th at 18:27:46 UT, using a Celestron C-8 telescope which was equipped with a focal reducer plus a Watec black and white CCD camera. The observations in the image to the left were carried out by Jose-Antonio Quesada at his own observatory in Huÿýtor Santillÿýn, Granada, Spain. Two more flashes were recorded on video tape by means of a f/6.3 10" Meade telescope equipped with a Watec camera from the Instituto de Astrofÿýsica de Andalucia's main building in Granada's downtown. This camera was operated by F. Aceituno and J. Aceituno.

A team of four observers from India, led by Dr. T. Chandrasekhar, observed from 12:40 until 14:14 UT and recorded four possible impacts. They observed the dark portion of the moon using the 1.2m telescope located at Gurushikar,Mt Abu,India. The field of view was 3.95 arcmin by 2.75 arcmin.

Michael Lachmann and Christophe Marlot, observing in Korea, report two possible impacts.

A long series of possible impacts were reported by Kiran Shah, Pradyumna Gogte, and Surabhi Ganguly of Pune India.

Additional candidate flashes have been compiled by Brian Cudnik at the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers Impact Alert page. From that compilation, the following list was derived (note that most events remain unconfirmed):

Day (Nov)    Time(UT)   Location                     Brightness (*=confirmed)  Observer
             h  m  s          (Epoch J2001.5) 

17          17 05 43   near Clavius                     C. Sigismondi 
17          16 46 30                                    J. Bourgeois
17          22 53 30   N Serenitatis                    T. Cook
18          00 56 11      south-center of disk          D. Palmer
18          0118 47                                     D. Palmer
18          12 50           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 02           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 04 26     18 26 32.1 -24 44 45           T. Chandrasekhar      
18          13 13           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 22 16     18 26 51.1 -24 44 25           T. Chandrasekhar
18          13 32           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 33           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 35           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 43 01     18 27 45.3 -24 39 55           T. Chandrasekhar
18          13 46           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 47           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 53 14     18 28 11.8 -24 40 53           T. Chandrasekhar
18          13 53           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 57           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          13 57           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 00           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 03 30     18 28 11.4 -24 40 40           T. Chandrasekhar
18          14 06           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 14           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 15           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 28           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 28           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 33           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 37           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          14 49           Mare Crisium                K. Shah 
18          17 08 30                                    J.C. Echaniz Heider (visual)
18          17 09 20     shore of Mare Tranquilitatis   M. Stangl Graz (visual)
18          17 12 20                                    J.C. Echaniz Heider (visual)
18          17 58 41                                    F. Aceituno 
18          18 09 50                                    J.C. Echaniz Heider (visual)
18          18 27 46     16W, -23S                +5.1  J.-A. Quesada
18          18 10 36     15E,  +39N                     J.-A. Quesada
18          18 20 15                                    F. Aceituno 
18          18 29 07                                    J.-A. Quesada 
18          23 25 20     SW mare Vaporum                T. Cook 
18          23 25 33     SW of Kepler                   T. Cook 
18          23 19 15     Lacus Gaudi                    R. Venable 
18          23 19 15                                    *  R. Venable, D. Dunham, A. Cook
19          00 18 47     (e-noise?)                     D. Palmer 
19          00 18 58                              +4 *  A. Cook, D. Dunham, D. Palmer
19          00 39 59                                    R. Venable 
19          00 46 14                                    D. Palmer
19          00 48 13                                    D. Palmer
19          00 58 17                                    D. Palmer
19          01 22 37                                    D. Palmer
19          01 24 13                                    D. Palmer
19          09 40 01                             +8     M. Lachmann  
19          09 51                                +7     M. Lachmann (seen also visually)
19          19 23 48                                    J.-A. Quesada



 
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