The Latest Information about Observations of Lunar Meteors
NASA Lunar Meteor Project, you're invited to help - New 2008 February 25
Mission Statement: Use Earth-based observations of the dark portion of the Moon to establish the rates and sizes of large meteoroids striking the lunar surface. That's at the top of the Web page of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office and the Marshall Space Flight Center's Environments Team describing the NASA lunar meteor project, important for defining the meteoroid hazard that will be faced by future operations on the lunar surface. As of 2008 February 1, the project had recorded 91 lunar meteor impact flashes. They would like your help in extending and confirming these observations; details of their observations, and how you can help, is here.
ALPO Lunar Meteor Impacts Page - Updated 2008 February 25
Read about the latest observations, and plans for future coordinated observations, here.
The first video of a lunar eclipse meteor impact recorded by George Varros at Mt. Airy, MD - New 2008 February 25
During the total lunar eclipse of February 21, George Varros video recorded an impact flash near the advancing edge of the Moon, the first video recorded lunar meteor impact during a lunar eclipse of which I am aware. This was recorded at Varros's observatory in Mt. Airy, Maryland; interestingly, it was in his backyard that I recorded the first confirmed lunar meteor impacts during the strong lunar Leonids storm on 1999 February 18. Details of Varros's observation, including some other lunar meteor impacts that he has recorded, are here. His Web site has good information about the equipment needed to record lunar meteors.
Best Video of a Lunar Meteor Impact, in Alabama - New 2006 June 14
Details of the flash from a 7th-mag. meteor impact in Mare Nubium that lasted 0.4 seconds was video recorded by Heather McNamara and Danielle Moser using a special 10-inch telescope at the Marshall Space Flight Center, discovered in the video tape by Nick Hollon, and analyzed by Bill Cooke. More information about this event, including reflections on IOTA's important background role, a link to the video, the derived light curve of the flash, and the results are here.
The 1st Confirmed Perseid Lunar Impact, in Japan - Updated 2008 February 25
A Perseid impacting the dark side of the crescent Moon on 2004 August 11 was video recorded by at least 3 separate Japanese observers. The flash was about 9th magnitude, near the edge of the Moon. Images and details can be found here. This is the first confirmed non-Leonid lunar meteor impact.
Lunar Leonids in 2001 and 1999 - Updated 2002 Dec. 16
The 1st Confirmed Lunar Meteor Impacts (1999) & Historical Background
Leonids hit the Moon - updated 2002 Dec. 16 with extensive images, tables, and historical information, including previously-observed but unconfirmed lunar meteor impacts.
2001 Lunar Leonids Observations - updated 2002 Dec. 16 Several observation reports are given here, including details of the impacts confirmed in three videorecordings at widely-separated locations on Nov. 18 at 23:19:15.21 U.T. and on Nov. 19 at 0:18:58.20 U.T. These times were determined from a Manly U.T.C.-time-inserted copy of my tapes by Marshall Stapko, a student working for me. There is an approximate +/-0.02 uncertainty in these times, and no correction has been made for signal travel time from the WWV transmitter near Ft. Collins, Colorado to my observing site near Laurel, Maryland. Added on Dec. 10 are my images of the first impact. Images of the second impact obtained in New Mexico and Maryland are also shown. Also given are links to other sites, especially the ALPO lunar impacts site that should have more recent and comprehensive information. The link to to David Palmer's Web site with his 2001 images has been updated.
Tony Cook has pointed out some recently published papers about lunar Leonids that were videorecorded in Japan in 1999 and in Spain in 2001.
The 2001 Lunar Leonids - updated 2001 Nov. 15 This gives pre-Leonid prediction information and observation advice. Information is given about the sensitive Watec 902H video camera that can revolutionize meteor impact and occultation recordings by reaching 2 mags. fainter than the popular PC-23C.
Here are diagrams showing where Leonids were predicted to strike the Moon in both 1999 and 2001 - new 2001 Nov. 16
Flash Photographed by Stuart in 1953 not a Lunar Meteor? - Updated 2003 March 12
A fresh crater was found in Clementine images near where Leon Stuart photographed a bright flash on 1953 November 15. However, more careful measurements showed that that crater and Stuart's flash (if lunar) were 30 km apart (1 deg.) on the Moon's surface. The crater found in the Clementine images has also been found in photographs taken at Mt. Wilson in 1919 and elsewhere. More information is in J. Kelly Beatty's article.
2002 Meteor News - updated Dec. 16
Click here to read about possible lunar Geminids and Perseids that were observed in 2002.
Get the most scientific value from your telescope and video equipment!
Occultation observers are urged to use their equipment to record the lunar dark side for meteor impacts, and lunar meteor observers should be aware of occultations that can be recorded during their observations
The same equipment that is effective for recording lunar meteor impacts is also effective, and is what many IOTA observers use, for recording occultations, so to get the most scientific value from one's equipment, those who are set up to record lunar impacts are also encouraged to record occultations, and vice versa. In fact, some lunar occultations will be swept up by chance by recording for lunar impacts, but they may as well be sought out, by having predictions handy (IOTA can provide them) and moving to the right spot of the Moon to catch lunar occultations as they occur. Also, half the time the Moon is below the horizon, and much of the other half is too bright to record impacts; during those times, it would be useful to use your equipment to try to record asteroidal occultations when they occur in your area.
Last updated 2008 February 25 David Dunham, President, I.O.T.A. Phone: home 301-474-4722 office 240-228-5609 car 301-526-5590 dunham@starpower.net
