Don't Miss NASA Crashing Stuff Into the Moon!
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: NASA, Moon, Bombing, crashing, space | Themes: The Internet, Business
It's all in the name of "science" of course!
We'll admit that today being "Knee-Jerk Reaction Thursday" – the day where the media blows things out of proportion in the hopes it'll create some news for the inevitable Friday-slump – there are a lot of blogs getting overly excited about news that, when you come down to it, isn't very interesting. However, the fact that NASA is going to crash a spaceship into the moon is probably the coolest thing that will happen this weekend. If you're unlucky enough to live in a country where the whole thing will happen in the middle of the night, be sure to drag yourself out of bed to watch.
So how early am I forcing you to rise? If you're on the East Coast, you might be awake anyway. Unfortunately for those on the West Coast, unless you work the graveyard shift, you're likely still asleep at 04:30 a.m. on a Friday so you'll actually have to set an alarm.
Now here's the interesting bit, because not many people understand what exactly it is NASA will be doing other than the basics of 'looking for water'. The space agency has sent up its LCROSS spacecraft along with an empty rocket. The empty rocket helped get LCROSS off the ground and will also serve NASA's intention of crashing an empty rocket into a 13-foot-deep crater at the moon's south pole. The resulting cloud of dust will then be analyzed by LCROSS for water and ice. Once its analytical duties have been fulfilled, LCROSS will also crash into the moon, creating a cloud about one third the size of the first plume.
As if that wasn't badass enough, here are some fun numbers to make you go, "Oooh!" The AP reports that the two ships will smash into the moon at 5,600 mph, more than seven times the speed of sound. The explosion will have the force of 1.5 tons of TNT and throw 772,000 pounds of lunar dirt out of the crater. Project manager Dan Andrews told the AP that it will create a new crater — inside an old one — about half the size of an Olympic swimming pool.
NASA will be broadcasting the event on its website. Amateurs will need at least a 10-inch telescope to look at the crashes.
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Get some sleep Jane.
Yes, some of us IT guys have to run big plants at the wee hours so that normal consumers can wake up and get what they want.
Back to the subject....err whats the subject? Need more Moutain Dew...!!
COOL! EXPLOSIONS! (and moondust)
... Or some of us can log onto the internet and watch it live with a better view than those with 24" telescopes.
Dr. Evil must work for NASA now
So all this to prove that moon isnt made of cheese?
I dont know.. its sounds cool and all.. but do we have to deform the moon even more than what it looks like now? swimming pool sized crator? so when a small soccer ball sized rock hits earth it creates a huge crator..when a rocket loaded with all tons of who knows what hits the moon.. it hardly dents it? can someone help me with this one?
... Or some of us can log onto the internet and watch it live with a better view than those with 24" telescopes.
Which is why I added a link to the NASA site for people who want to watch online.
Get some sleep Jane.
It's actually 11:28am where I am so lack of sleep is no excuse for my mistake/typo but heaven forbid we chalk anything up to human error/genuine oversight.
Should be all fixed now.
They didn't tell us the size of the remains of the rocket or the probe, so you are probably imagining it bigger than it is (none of the early stages/boosters). And half an Olympic swimming pool isn't exactly small. Go to NASA's website, maybe they have more in depth info on that aspect.
*knocks moon out of orbit*
NASA: "...Uh... Whoops?"
XD Couldn't resist.
That's no moon. It's a space station!
The rocket is going at 5,600mph, those asteroids are traveling between 30 - 40,000mph, and are likely made of a heavier material, like iron. Also, half an olympic pool is so small on the moon it makes essentially no difference.
Odd world we live in when putting something on another astral body is considered a small feet.
But when a old drug addicted actress or mentally underdeveloped child molesting singer dies, thats news?
@tektek: Do a Google search on "Peekskill Meteorite". That thing was about the size of a soccer ball and it didn't make that big a hole.
I thought if we actually made it to the moon then we'd have found out by now whether there is water or not...
As if changing the face of the earth wasn't enough, we are changing the face of the moon before we even "get" there. I think NASA should stick something up their ass or get laid instead of start fucking like that with the moon or anything out of the planet for that matter. Next thing we know is the next title "moon gone missing and out of orbit after the huge crash created by NASA"... Retards with no lives, seriously.
Ban weapon testing in space (again).
*knocks moon out of orbit*NASA: "...Uh... Whoops?"XD Couldn't resist.
into the earth?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/ [...] 745AA8x58L
Probably going to be in youtube.
As long as the moon doesnt completely asplode on us.
*knocks moon out of orbit*NASA: "...Uh... Whoops?"XD Couldn't resist.
Wow. Almost l;ike "Space:2009" Except there's no moonbase Alpha, and a lot of other stuff. so nevermind.
Creating a moonquake that rips the moon apart send the shattered remains into the the earths atmosphere, killing all of man kind.
The moon aliens are going to be pissed. Watch out for retaliation.
err... quick, hit the other side to push it back! haha.
I'd see it but I don't have a 10" telescope.
When in doubt, poke it with a stick.
Wow, horribly written article.
Maybe I can't read, but what day is it?
You state what time, but not what day. What a load of bull.
10"? Damn, my Astroscan just isn't up to the challenge. *sniffle*
Odd world we live in when putting something on another astral body is considered a small feet. But when a old drug addicted actress or mentally underdeveloped child molesting singer dies, thats news?
+1 and /thread
It's almost to a point where I kind of hope people in congress at least won't pay much attention to pure science research like this.
Why?
They might find "better" things to do with the funding like bailing out monopolistic, corrupt and laughably mismanaged banks/insurance companies.
good one ed brown!
Retards with no lives, seriously.
Your own words describe yourself so well.