100 Explosions on the Moon

100 Explosions on the Moon

science.nasa.gov

These explosions don\'t require oxygen or combustion. Meteoroids hit the moon with tremendous kinetic energy, traveling 30,000 mph or faster. \"At that speed, even a pebble can blast a crater several feet wide. The impact heats up rocks and soil on the lunar surface hot enough to glow like molten lava--hence the flash.\"

During meteor showers such as the Quadrantids or Perseids, when the Moon passes through dense streams of cometary debris, the rate of lunar flashes can go as high as one per hour. Impacts subside when the Moon exits the stream, but curiously the rate never goes to zero.

\"Even when no meteor shower is active, we still see flashes,\" says Cooke.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
blogs.nature.com
weblogs.baltimoresun.com

I had no idea that such a thing happened with such regularity, not to mention that they can be seen with amateur telescopes!

This image shows the 100 meteorite impacts since late 2005
science.nasa.gov...

This is an animated GIF Image via the same news story which shows one of these objects hitting the moon. Awesome!
science.nasa.gov...

-ChriS

science.nasa.gov
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by BlasteR


They can be seen with the naked eye. I have seen them, over 2 years now I have seen at least 50+ explosions while walking around outside at work. My hubby thought I was nuts telling him that I was seeing explosions on the moon until he witnessed one too. It looks like fire splashing up and away from the moon then crashing back down to the surface.