Modeling the LCROSS Impact Site

  • Released Friday, October 9, 2009
  • Updated Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 2:01PM
  • ID: 3654
A two-ton Atlas Centaur rocket body, part of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), struck the floor of Cabeus crater, near the south pole of the moon, at 11:31 UT on October 9, 2009. 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. The effects of the impact were captured by sensors onboard a shepherding satellite travelling four minutes behind the Centaur. They were also watched by Earth-based observatories and several Earth-orbiting satellites, including the Hubble Space Telescope.

The images here were created in the weeks prior to the impact. They visualize the viewing angle, terrain, and shadows around the target crater at the time of the impact. Astronomers in New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Hawaii used them as visual reference while guiding their telescopes. LCROSS project scientists also used these and similar images to evaluate a number of potential impact locations.

Using the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's DE421 ephemeris and early terrain data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's laser altimeter, the artist was able to accurately depict the sunlight direction, shadows, moon orientation, terrain, and field of view for several representative observing locations on the Earth.

Key lunar landmarks used to locate Cabeus crater, the site of the LCROSS crash, are colored and labeled in this view. The yellow scale shows angular distances in the plane of the impact site; blue arcs show heights 50, 100 and 200 kilometers above it.

Key lunar landmarks used to locate Cabeus crater, the site of the LCROSS crash, are colored and labeled in this view. The yellow scale shows angular distances in the plane of the impact site; blue arcs show heights 50, 100 and 200 kilometers above it.

LCROSS impact site without crater labels. Blue arcs represent 50, 100 and 200 kilometer heights above the crash site.

LCROSS impact site without crater labels. Blue arcs represent 50, 100 and 200 kilometer heights above the crash site.

Full disk image of the moon, with an inset containing a close-up of the impact site. A number of craters, including the target crater, are labeled in the inset.

Full disk image of the moon, with an inset containing a close-up of the impact site. A number of craters, including the target crater, are labeled in the inset.

Full disk image of the moon showing the LCROSS impact site near the south pole. Blue arcs mark distances of 50, 100, and 200 kilometers from the impact site.

Full disk image of the moon showing the LCROSS impact site near the south pole. Blue arcs mark distances of 50, 100, and 200 kilometers from the impact site.

A comparison of two visualizations (left) with images taken at the time of the impact by the NIR camera aboard the LCROSS shepherding satellite, upper right, and Palomar Observatory's 200-inch Hale Telescope, lower right.

A comparison of two visualizations (left) with images taken at the time of the impact by the NIR camera aboard the LCROSS shepherding satellite, upper right, and Palomar Observatory's 200-inch Hale Telescope, lower right.

For More Information

See http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2009/svs_lcross.html

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Palomar image credit: A. Bouchez, Palomar Observatory

Missions

This visualization is related to the following missions:

Datasets used in this visualization

LCROSS
NASA

Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite

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LRO DEM (A.K.A. Digital Elevation Map) (Collected with the LOLA sensor)
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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.

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