Early Friday morning (4:30 am PDT, 8:30 Eastern), NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) spacecraft, and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's (LRO) Centaur upper stage will collide with the Cabeus crater near the Lunar South Pole.

Coverage begins 7:15 AM eastern on NASA TV, with the Centaur impact at 8:30 EST. Anyone with a telescope 10" and larger west of the Mississippi should still have enough darkness to see it.

Retaliatory strikes are expected shortly thereafter.

__________________
January 21, 2013: The End of an ERROR.

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
---Benjamin Franklin

Well, the pyrotechnics leave something to be desired.

A Splashdown?

__________________
January 21, 2013: The End of an ERROR.

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
---Benjamin Franklin

I woke up a bit earlier than normal to watch this, then managed to fall back asleep on the couch before the impact. Just watched it on Youtube, though and it doesn't look like I really missed much. Now I eagerly await photographs of the plume from amateur astronomers...

__________________
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” - Carl Sagan

Remember to submit your nominations for the U.S. Politics Online Alternative Awards!

Damm, I missed it too.

YouTube - Nasa LCROSS Moon Iimpact

Now you can experience the edge of your seat excitement.

__________________
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” - Carl Sagan

Remember to submit your nominations for the U.S. Politics Online Alternative Awards!

I loved the part at the end where the people are clapping in the background.

"YAAAAAY! We successfully crashed!"

__________________



For those who have fought to defend it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know...



If it wasn't for double standards, liberals would have no standards at all...

It's always funny watching (or hearing) the folks at NASA practically bust a nut over these things. Of course, it makes more sense when you realize they've put years of hard work into it, but still. I remember watching their reaction to the Shoemaker-Levy impact and thinking all of NASA was on the verge of breaking out in a mass orgy.

__________________
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” - Carl Sagan

Remember to submit your nominations for the U.S. Politics Online Alternative Awards!