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http://dx.doi.org/10.5140/JASS.2015.32.2.121

Detection of an Impact Flash Candidate on the Moon with an Educational Telescope System  

Kim, Eunsol (Department of Astronomy, Space Science, and Geology, Chungnam National University)
Kim, Yong Ha (Department of Astronomy, Space Science, and Geology, Chungnam National University)
Hong, Ik-Seon (Department of Astronomy, Space Science, and Geology, Chungnam National University)
Yu, Jaehyung (Department of Astronomy, Space Science, and Geology, Chungnam National University)
Lee, Eungseok (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
Kim, Kyoungja (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
Publication Information
Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences / v.32, no.2, 2015 , pp. 121-125 More about this Journal
Abstract
At the suggestion of the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (NASA/MEO), which promotes lunar impact monitoring worldwide during NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission period (launched Sept. 2013), we set up a video observation system for lunar impact flashes using a 16-inch educational telescope at Chungnam National University. From Oct. 2013 through Apr. 2014, we recorded 80 hours of video observation of the unilluminated part of the crescent moon in the evening hours. We found a plausible candidate impact flash on Feb. 3, 2014 at selenographic longitude $2.1^{\circ}$ and latitude $25.4^{\circ}$. The flash lasted for 0.2 s and the light curve was asymmetric with a slow decrease after a peak brightness of $8.7{\pm}0.3mag$. Based on a star-like distribution of pixel brightness and asymmetric light curve, we conclude that the observed flash was due to a meteoroid impact on the lunar surface. Since unequivocal detection of an impact flash requires simultaneous observation from at least two sites, we strongly recommend that other institutes and universities in Korea set up similar inexpensive monitoring systems involving educational or amateur telescopes, and that they collaborate in the near future.
Keywords
lunar meteoroid impact; video observation;
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