Planets and Moons  ID: 3760

LRO Supports LCROSS

Visualizations by Ernie Wright Released on October 21, 2010
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) were launched together on the same Atlas V rocket on June 18, 2009. Months later, after following very different paths to the moon, LRO and LCROSS met once more. LCROSS struck the floor of Cabeus crater, near the south pole of the moon, at 11:31 UT on October 9, 2009. LRO witnessed the impact from its orbit 50 kilometers (30 miles) above the surface.

The purpose of the crash was to create a plume of debris that could be examined for the presence of water and other chemicals in the lunar regolith. LRO's early reconnaissance of the moon gave LCROSS mission planners valuable data in the months before LCROSS arrived, allowing them to choose an impact site with a high probability of producing interesting findings. LRO was also there for the event itself, using its array of instruments to gather data in the aftermath of the impact.

This animation shows LRO and LCROSS from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after the impact. Data gathered before the impact is represented by early results from LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND). LEND can sense hydrogen, and therefore possible water, in the lunar soil. The area of high hydrogen concentration in Cabeus (purple) is like a bullseye for LCROSS.

Data gathered by LRO after the impact is represented by Diviner temperature measurements taken seconds after the crash. Diviner detected the heat from lunar soil melted and vaporized by the enormous energy of the impact.
Download Options
LEND and Diviner data are painted onto the lunar surface as LCROSS hits the moon and LRO flies past the impact site. This version includes a date and time overlay.
Download Options
LEND and Diviner data are painted onto the lunar surface as LCROSS hits the moon and LRO flies past the impact site. This version omits the date and time overlay.
Download Options
The date and time display by itself. The frames include an alpha channel.
Download Options
Three minutes before the LCROSS impact, LRO and LCROSS approach the impact site. The colored data is LEND hydrogen concentration.
Download Options
The elevated hydrogen concentration in the LEND data near the impact site forms a bullseye for LCROSS.
Download Options
The moment of impact. The site is a permanently shadowed region on the floor of Cabeus crater.
Download Options
As LRO flies past the impact site, it gathers data. Shown here is Diviner temperature data.

Visualization Credits

Ernie Wright (UMBC): Lead Animator
Andrew Freeberg (NASA/GSFC): Producer
Chris Smith (HTSI): Producer
John Keller (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3760

Mission:
LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter)

Data Used:
LRO/LOLA/Digital Elevation Map also referred to as: DEM
August 2009 - May 2010
view all stories where this data set is used
LRO/Diviner
October 9, 2009
view all stories where this data set is used
JPL/Horizon Orbital Ephemerides
Ephemeris - NASA/JPL - November 6, 2009
Planetary ephemerides
view all stories where this data set is used
LRO/LEND/Neutrons
Database - July - October, 2009
view all stories where this data set is used
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

This item is part of these series:
The Moon
LRO - Animations

Keywords:
SVS >> Elevation data
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Lunar
SVS >> Moon
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> LRO
SVS >> Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
SVS >> LOLA
SVS >> LEND
SVS >> Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE)
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons
SVS >> Presentation