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SMART Probe to Crash Into the Moon

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the player-nasa-cratered dept.

cyberbian writes "Amateur astronomers will be excited to note that they can witness the impact of the SMART-1 probe crashing into the moon. The impact is scheduled for the morning of September 2nd (PDT). From the article: 'There's nothing wrong with the spacecraft, which is wrapping up a successful 3-year mission to the Moon. SMART-1's main job was to test a European-built ion engine. It worked beautifully, propelling the craft in 2003 on a unique spiral path from Earth to the Moon. From lunar orbit, SMART-1 took thousands of high-resolution pictures and made mineral maps of the Moon's terrain. One of its most important discoveries was a "Peak of Eternal Light," a mountaintop near the Moon's north pole in constant, year-round sunlight. Peaks of Eternal Light are prime real estate for solar-powered Moon bases."

7 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Peak of Eternal Light by The+Living+Fractal · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Constant, year round sunlight... Except when the Moon is in the Earth's shadow.. you know, a lunar eclipse? Granted, not a long time, but FFS, at least don't make grand sweeping statements that are patently false. This should be called a "Peak of Almost But Not Quite Eternal Light".

    TLF

    --
    I do not respond to cowards. Especially anonymous ones.
    1. Re:Peak of Eternal Light by An.+(Coward) · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Even in a total lunar eclipse, there's always a reddish glow on the moon's face--the light of every sunrise and sunset in the world hitting it after passing through Earth's atmosphere. So it's eternal sunlight...it's just not 100% constant.

    2. Re:Peak of Eternal Light by Roduku · · Score: 4, Insightful

      How did such an ignorant statement get modded insightful?
      What did you do, make the post then log in with a different name and mod yourself?

      Even during a total eclipse, tha moon is not totally dark. Sunlight gets refracted towards the moon through the Earth's atmosphere. A mountain peak at the Moon's pole could indeed be in eternal light.

      One thing that really irks me is people that base the validity of a statement on their personal assumptions. In the words of Adam Savage of Mythbusters: "I reject your reality and substitute my own."

  2. Re:Real Estate by Jeng · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Our race is rather petty. Actually very petty, perhaps even very very petty.

    But thats besides the point. Real estate might have been used for lack of a better term, I don't think that moon topography will be sold off in lots anytime soon. For now the moon has no owner, and is a harsh mistress.

    --
    Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
  3. Re:Real Estate by geekoid · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Nothing is larger then humanity. To think so is to die.
    There is nothing we can't achieve, no place we can't conquer.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  4. Re:Expendible resources by mgabrys_sf · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Unlike our early space travel, there's a treaty that says that you have to de-orbit material around the moon. There's not as much room to be sending missions up there and muck about with lunar-orbit space junk. Although it's still mondo rare to have an impact in Earth orbit, there's enough crap flying around us that some time ago they decided we didn't need to make the same mistakes up there.

    Old news actually.

    In fact in earth orbit you're supposed to bring spacecraft out of orbit at the end of their life. Those Tv satlelites only have a 5-10 year supply of fuel on board. At least until Ion thrusters become more commonplace. For Geostationary spacecraft.

  5. Re:Not so smart by sd_diamond · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You know you've spent too much time on Slashdot when you can predict what the first response will be before you even click on the article.