Meteoroid hits the Moon. Caught on video.

Well there's a new little crater on the moon, it's only 14 meters wide and 3 meters deep, but it's still neat. Apparently this is not the first time an impact has been recorded, but it is the best one recorded so far.

science.nasa.gov...

[edit on 13-6-2006 by jra]

nice,

thanks for finding that.
14 meter wide crater, not bad for a 14 inch rock!

edit for exaggerating a 14 inch object, when it was only 10 inches.
It was only 10 inches folks..thanks pieman for the correction

[edit on 13-6-2006 by spacedoubt]

Originally posted by spacedoubt
nice,

thanks for finding that.
14 meter wide crater, not bad for a 14 inch rock!

10inches! Even smaller. Wow imagine getting hit in the head with that? LOL


Pie

Originally posted by spacedoubt
nice,

thanks for finding that.
14 meter wide crater, not bad for a 14 inch rock...edit for exaggerating a 14 inch object, when it was only 10 inches.
[edit on 13-6-2006 by spacedoubt]

too...many...dirty...jokes...overload overload overload

All exagerations of inches aside, nice find. My question would be based on this, as unscientific as it is...from article:

If a rock like that hit Earth, it would never reach the ground. "Earth's atmosphere protects us," Cooke explains. "A 10-inch meteoroid would disintegrate in mid-air, making a spectacular fireball in the sky but no crater." The Moon is different. Having no atmosphere, it is totally exposed to meteoroids. Even small ones can cause spectacular explosions, spraying debris far and wide.

Okay I understand the atmosphere protects us from a lot, but my question is let's say whatever the original size of the object, what doesn't break up is a 10 inch rock moving at 85000 miles per hour...if it hit solid ground in a city what would the possible damage be.

I understand that the atmospher would slow it down and all but just saying, if anyone could elaborate...what I know about meteors I learn from movies.

Like every good american.

SPiderj

And what kinds of explosions are those? Seeing that there's no oxygen on the moon. Why do I see something that looks like a burst of flames in that video? Can somebody explain that please?

What, no sound?

Where's the Kaboom?! There's supposed to be an Earth-shattering Kaboom!

I was thinking the same thing Bandit.

[edit on 13/6/06 by SteveR]

I'm sure some rock was vaporized, but no flames.
It just looked like something very hot appeared, then faded.

Originally posted by TheBandit795

... Why do I see something that looks like a burst of flames in that video? Can somebody explain that please?

that Question also got me to pondering other Questions...
maybe there were trapped gasses in the rock or comet??
would hydrogen convert to heat & light (a flame like explosion)
if it impacted @ 85Kph ??

i mention hydrogen because the meteroid may well be from the early stages of the solar-system when that element was prevalent and may have a high concentration in that moon striking meteor.

also, I can't imagine that that 10" meteor hitting the moon, (with 1/6 the earths gravity)
would release more destructive energy on earth as its target, than it did on the moon

just how fast can you run under water? or hit home run balls under water?
our thicker atmosphere would slow down & burn up the meteor,
then the impact would be deadened by both atmospheric pressure and gravity
as compared to the moons environment, no?

goodnight

Originally posted by TheBandit795
And what kinds of explosions are those? Seeing that there's no oxygen on the moon.

Why do I see something that looks like a burst of flames in that video? Can somebody explain that please?

I'm not an expert on this, but I think it's due to the amount of energy of the impact. 17 billion joules of kinetic energy is a lot!

Originally posted by St Udio
that Question also got me to pondering other Questions...
maybe there were trapped gasses in the rock or comet??
would hydrogen convert to heat & light (a flame like explosion)
if it impacted @ 85Kph ??

It's 85,000 mph (or 38 km/s), not 85 kph. Huge difference!

also, I can't imagine that that 10" meteor hitting the moon, (with 1/6 the earths gravity)
would release more destructive energy on earth as its target, than it did on the moon

just how fast can you run under water? or hit home run balls under water?
our thicker atmosphere would slow down & burn up the meteor,
then the impact would be deadened by both atmospheric pressure and gravity
as compared to the moons environment, no?

A 10" meteor would not do anything to the Earth. Like the article said, it would burn up in the atmosphere. So yes you are correct in believing that it would do nothing.

Rocks entering earths atmosphere are more likely to burn up when they are going fast than when they are going slow.

If an object hits earths atmosphere at high speed, it's something like hitting a block wall. However if an object is moving slow then it is very likely to impact. Think of what it would be like to jump out of an airplane moving at mach 3....the impact of the air would rip you limb from limb. However, jumping out of a plane moving at 200 MPH will jolt you but you'll survive as your speed quickly slows to about 120 MPH in freefall.

Rocks from space are usually moving at around mach 50 give or take 50. The air pressure on the face of the rock is incredible as it enters earths atmosphere....thus crushing the rock causing it to explode in mid air. Meteors that impact the earth are far less dangerous than those that explode in mid air. Those that explode in our upper atmosphere often go unnoticed. Those that explode in our lower atmosphere could be easily mistaken for a nuke.

Imagine a meteor exploding a couple miles above the surface of the earth near a populated area. The explosion could easily exceed that of Hiroshima. Our first thoughts would automatically be of a terrorist attack. It would be an extremely difficult thing for scientists to convince people that it was merely a meteor explosion.

On a similar note of meteor impacts....you all might find it interesting that the best defense in the event of a meteor impact would be to seal yourself into a room in your home with plastic lined walls for about 24 hours or so. You'll need a source of air, so be sure to take a bucket of two of water and use wet towels to filter any incoming air....you see, the danger in a nearby meteor impact is of the extremely fine dust that would fill the air from the impact. If you are upwind, then you have little to be concerned of, but if you are downwind of the impact then you would want to protect yourself from the dust.

That has always made me wonder about the duct tape and plastic sheets program that we were told to have on hand. I wonder if it was more designed to protect from an impending meteor impact. I also wonder if the terrorist alert program is really a cover for what is actually a meteor alert program.

Just some things to think about....