If at first you do n’t succeed , sample and try again . Such is the school of thought of Jose Maria Madiedo , an astronomer at the University of Huelva in Spain , who , for over 10 years , has tried to beguile a meteorite score the Moon during a lunar occultation . Yesterday , during the so - called “ Super Blood Wolf Blood Moon , ” it finally chance .
Monday ’s much anticipated Super stemma Wolf Moon eclipse , thoughbadly named , did not disappoint . Millions of people gazed into the night sky or onto video feeds to seea stunning coppery - red hueenvelop our planet ’s rude satellite . As the January 21 eclipse unfolded , however , some observers notice a tiny flash while watching the online programme , reportedNew Scientist . Somesuspected the flash was stimulate by a meteorite strike — and it turns out they were right .
Jose Madiedo confirmed these suspicions , tweetingthat a lunar impact occurred at 5:41am Spanish Peninsular Time . A pic give up by Madiedo clearly showed a xanthous - livid battery-acid appearing in the darken top left quarter-circle of the Moon during the totality form of the occultation . Astronomers have film encroachment wink on the Moonbefore , but this marks the first time a lunar impact was captured during a lunar eclipse — an achievement more than 20 years in the qualification .
astronomer first started to consistently monitor impingement flashes in 1997 , an effort that evolved into theMoon Impacts Detection and Analysis System , or MIDAS , a survey deal by the University of Huelva and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalucia . Madiedo join the labor in 2008 . Using astronomical data from multiple observatory , MIDAS uses software to discover the moment a meteorite hits the darkened portions of the lunar surface .
“ We supervise the nocturnal region of the Moon to identify impact flashes . In this way , these flashes are well contrasted against the darker background signal , ” Madiedo explained to Gizmodo . “ So , we usually monitor the Moon about five days after the New Moon , and around five sidereal day before the New Moon . We also monitor during lunar eclipses , since during these occultation the lunar ground is dark . ”
The telescopes used by MIDAS are equipped with high - sensitivity telecasting cameras and record video continuously during the take note session . These videos are then analyse by software , which mechanically identifies lunar impact flash and calculates their posture on the Moon . Madiedo said the system can detect the moment of an shock flashing to an truth of about 0.001 arcsecond . Since 2015 , the squad has applied photometric filters to some of their telescopes , grant them to define the temperature of these flashes .
As noted , MIDAS had ( prior to yesterday ) never catch a meteorite strike during a total lunar eclipse — but it was n’t for want of judge . Madiedo said he does n’t know the exact number of eclipses MIDAS has monitor to appointment , but , conditions permitting , he tell every lunar occultation has been monitor since the sight startle . Other group have also tried to detect lunar flashes during an eclipse , said Madiedo , but none follow — until now .
commonly , Madiedo ’s squad uses four telescopes to monitor the Moon , but this time they decide to use eight . Considerable study was required to both rig up and test the fresh instruments .
“ In totality I spent almost two days without sleeping , include the monitoring time during the occultation , ” Madiedo told Gizmodo . “ But I made the extra effort to fix the new telescopes because I had the look that this fourth dimension would be ‘ the time , ’ and I did not want to lose an impingement trice . One instrument had a technical issue and failed . I was exhausted when the eclipse ended — but when the automatic detection software notified me of a brilliant news bulletin , I jumped out of my chair . It was a very exciting moment because I roll in the hay such a matter had never been register before . ”
Madiedo said the betting odds of an impact flash of this order of magnitude is around once every seven to 10 days . His team has n’t analyzed all the data yet , but a preliminary dead reckoning is that the object , likely a flyspeck asteroid , had a pot around 22 pounds ( 10 kilograms ) .
https://gizmodo.com/the-frequency-of-asteroid-impacts-increased-just-before-1831839017
By take these flashes , scientists can acquire well statistic about the charge per unit of lunar impacts , and by effect the pace at which the Earth ’s atm is pour by likewise sized object .
On a related note , a late study suggestedthe pace of expectant asteroid wallop on Earth increase around 290 million years ago . This end was reached by studying the account of impact crater on the lunar airfoil . Our Moon may calculate nothing like Earth , but when it comes to heavenly impacts , we have a shared history .
[ New Scientist ]
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