Bright Explosion on the Moon

Source - NASA Science News for May 17, 2013

NASA researchers who monitor the Moon for meteoroid impacts have detected an explosion ten times brighter than anything they've seen before.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/16may_lunarimpact/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYloGuUZCFM



License: Standard YouTube License

Collision Course? A Comet Heads for Mars

Source - NASA Science News for March 27, 2013

A comet is heading for Mars, and there is a chance that it might hit the Red Planet in October 2014. An impact wouldn't necessarily mean the end of NASA's Mars program, but it would transform the program along with Mars itself.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/26mar_marscomet/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T2eBSexgX4



License: Standard YouTube License

CME Impact Sparks Auroras over US States

Source - Space Weather News for March 17, 2013: http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Skies over North America turned green for St. Patrick's Day.  A CME impact during the early hours of March 17th sparked auroras in the United States at least as far south as Colorado.  More auroras are possible tonight, mainly over the Arctic, as Earth's magnetic field continues to reverberate from the impact.  Check http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

Lunar Impact Site Named After Sally Ride

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 18, 2012:

NASA has named the site where two spacecraft hit the Moon on Dec. 17th in honor of the late astronaut Sally K. Ride, who was America's first woman in space and a member of the GRAIL mission team.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/17dec_sallyride/

NASA Gravity Probes Prepare to Hit the Moon

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 13, 2012:

A pair of NASA spacecraft orbiting the Moon are being prepared for a controlled descent into a mountain near the lunar north pole on Monday, Dec. 17.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/13dec_grail/

Explosion on Jupiter

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 11, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

EXPLOSION ON JUPITER: Amateur astronomers are reporting a bright fireball on Jupiter--apparently the result of a small asteroid hitting the planet during the early hours of Sept. 10th.  As the fireball fades, attention turns to possible debris around the impact site.  Observers will be monitoring the region in the nights ahead to see what surfaces.  Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

AURORA ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are underway? Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

CME Impact on Jan. 24

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 24, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

CME IMPACT: As predicted by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24 at ~1500 UT (10 am EST). A geomagnetic storm is brewing in the aftermath of the impact, but as this alert is being written it is too soon to say how weak or strong the storm might be. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after local nightfall; the hours around local midnight are often best for seeing the Northern Lights. Chances for a good display favor observers in northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, Alaska, and possibly northern tier US states such as Maine, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

CME Impact on Nov. 28

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 28-29, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

CME IMPACT: Auroras are dancing around the Arctic Circle following a CME impact during the late hours of Nov. 28th. High-latitude sky watchers, especially in Scandinavia, Canada, and Alaska, should be alert for Northern Lights. Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and images.

CME Impact on Oct. 24

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 24, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

CME IMPACT: A coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field on Oct. 24th around 1800 UT (2 pm EDT). The impact strongly compressed our planet's magnetosphere and may have exposed geosynchronous satellites to solar wind plasma. Mild to moderate geomagnetic storms are possible in the hours ahead as Earth's magnetic field continues to reverberate from the hit. Sky watchers in Scandinavia, Canada, and northern-tier US States should be alert for auroras, especially during the hours around local midnight. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

WOULD YOU LIKE A CALL when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Lunar Impact Uncovered More Than Just Moon Water

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 21, 2010

Nearly a year after announcing the discovery of water molecules on the moon, scientists say there's more than just water hiding in cold lunar craters.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/21oct_lcross2/

Fireball on Jupiter

Source - Space Weather News for Aug. 22, 2010: http://spaceweather.com

FIREBALL ON JUPITER: An amateur astronomer in Japan has video-recorded a fireball on Jupiter. This marks the third time in only 13 months that amateur astronomers have detected signs of something hitting the giant planet. Will the latest impact leave behind a visible cloud of debris? Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

SPACE STATION and SPACE PLANE FLYBYS: This is a good week for satellite watchers in the USA and Canada. Both the International Space Station and the US Air Force X-37B space plane are making a series of favorable passes over North American towns and cities. The spacecraft are easy to find using our Simple Satellite Tracker--an app for iPhones and Android. Visit http://simpleflybys.com for downloads and more information.

Hubble Photographs Jupiter Impact Site

Source - Space Weather News for June 16, 2010: http://spaceweather.com

HUBBLE SEEKS DEBRIS, FINDS NONE: Even the Hubble Space Telescope cannot find any debris where a meteoroid apparently hit Jupiter on June 3rd. Today, researchers released new HST images of the impact site, which show nothing but uninterrupted clouds. The non-detection is consistent with a relatively small asteroid or comet fragment making a shallow strike in Jupiter's high atmosphere. Links to photos and more information may be found at http://spaceweather.com

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: Observers in Europe are reporting brightening displays of noctilucent clouds (NLCs). That's to be expected. Late spring and early summer often bring the strongest displays of these electric-blue clouds wafting across the top of Earth's atmosphere. Visit today's edition of http://spaceweather.com for photos, observing tips--and a possible connection between NLCs and sunspots.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like to turn your phone into a space weather monitoring system? Sign up for Space Weather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com

Jupiter Impact: Mystery of the Missing Debris

Source - NASA Science News for June 11, 2010

On June 3rd, amateur astronomers were startled by a bright flash of light on Jupiter. It appeared to be an impact event--a comet or asteroid hitting the planet's cloudtops. Curiously, though, the strike left no obvious debris. Was it really an impact--or something else? Today's story from Science@NASA discusses the possibilities.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/11jun_missingdebris

Jupiter Impact Event Caught on Video

Source - Space Weather News for June 3, 2010: http://spaceweather.com

SOMETHING HAS JUST HIT JUPITER: Veteran amateur astronomers Anthony Wesley of Australia and Christopher Go of the Philippines have independently observed an impact event on Jupiter. The strike occurred at 20:31 UT on June 3rd and produced a bright flash of light in the giant planet's cloudtops. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and video.

Hubble Sees Suspected Asteroid Collision

Source - NASA Science News for February 2, 2010

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that suggest a head-on collision between two asteroids.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/02feb_asteroidcollision.htm?list894285

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LCROSS Debris Plume Photographed

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 17, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

LUNAR IMPACT PLUME: NASA has just released pictures of infrared flashes and a visible plume of debris produced by a Centaur booster rocket hitting the Moon on Oct. 9th. The images confirm that the LCROSS experiment was a success despite the fact that the impacts were visually unimpressive from Earth.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for images of the plume and commentary from mission scientists.

NASAtelevision: LCROSS Lunar Impact

Here is some great video from the LCROSS Spacecraft just just before impacting on the Lunar surface courtesy of NASAtelevision:

Lunar Impact Update

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 8, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

LUNAR IMPACT UPDATE: NASA's LCROSS spacecraft and its Centaur booster rocket are on course for a Friday morning impact in crater Cabeus near the Moon's south pole. The Centaur will strike first on Oct. 9th at 11:31:19 UT (7:31:19 EDT, 4:31:19 PDT), followed by the LCROSS mothership at 11:35:45 UTC (7:35:45 EDT, 4:35:45). The spectacular double-impact, designed to excavate water frozen in the crater's shadowy depths, will be broadcast live on NASA TV. Amateur astronomers with 10-inch class backyard telescopes may be able to see debris billowing over the crater's rim. This is a big event! Visit http://spaceweather.com for observing tips and full coverage.

Lunar Impact This Friday

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 6, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

LUNAR IMPACT: This Friday morning, Oct 9th, at approximately 4:30 am PDT, NASA's LCROSS spacecraft and its Centaur booster rocket will plunge one after another into a shadowed crater near the Moon's south pole. The spectacular double-impact will be shown live on NASA TV from the point of view of the LCROSS spacecraft. Meanwhile, impact debris plumes emerging from the crater may be visible through backyard telescopes. North American sky watchers west of the Mississippi river are favored with darkness and good views of the Moon at the time of impact.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for observing tips and full coverage.

Lunar Impact Viewer's Guide

Source - NASA Science News for October 5, 2009

On Friday morning, Oct. 9th, you can watch a pair of spacecraft crash into the Moon with your own eyes. The purposeful impacts are the climax of NASA's LCROSS mission to unearth signs of water in lunar soil. Today's story tells how and where to look.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm?list894285

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