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The latest update on
developments concerning the Leonid MAC airborne campaigns.
Update December 01, 2001
 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.
A Spanish group led by J. L. Ortiz
of the Instituto de Astrof��sica de Andaluc��a
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 Hu��tor Santill��n, 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 Astrof��sica 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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