Will a Satellite Crash into the Moon Tonight?

[DaveC426913]

Has anyone heard of this?

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=39937"
Jeez, I'm trying to decipher the website to figure out when to look.

 

[turbo]

Here is some additional information.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060831/sc_space/ spacecraft settosmackthemoonthisweekend

 

[LURCH]

And here, too;
http://space.com/scienceastronomy/060831_smart-1_crash.html

They say the impact will either be at about 8:30 saturday night, or 1:30 Sunday morning. The uncertainty is because it is not a precise, targetted crash. They have narrowed down the time of impact to one of two orbits. It will probably hit on Sunday morning, but it might hit on the orbit before that. The orbits take about 5 hours, so the two possible times of impact are 5 hrs apart.

 

[russ_watters]

I'd be awfully surprised if it would be visible from amateur telescopes, but I'd still try if it were clear here...

 

[DaveC426913]

The uncertainty is because it is not a precise, targetted crash.

More accurately, they don't have a thorough understanding of the terrain. If it encounters a hill on the first orbit then that'll be the orbit it impacts on.

 

[LURCH]

Anybody heard anyhting since the big night? I've been looking and I can't find a reort on when it hit, or if anyone could see it.

 

[J77]

bbc: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5309656.stm

 

[LURCH]

Ah, closure. Thanks, J.

 

[DaveC426913]

Some photo analysis:

http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/News/Smart1/"