Lunar Impact

Some interesting science and technology news from the BBC today. Apparently, with NASA showing interest in returning to the moon by 2020 and possibly setting up a permanent base there, astronomers are studying meteor impacts on the lunar surface to see how astronauts can best be protected from them. On Nov. 7th, they saw one.

Nasa scientists have witnessed a rare explosion on the Moon, caused by a meteoroid slamming into it.

The blast was equal in energy to about 70kg of TNT and was seen near the edge of Mare Imbrium (the Sea of Rains).

The object that hit the Moon was probably part of a shower of "taurids" which peppered Earth in late October and early November.

I know that there were always concerns about our astronauts being caught out in the open during a sudden radiation burst from a solar flare, but I never really gave much thought to the possibility of meteorites. Here on Earth we really only have to worry about the occasional, very large meteor. The planet gets pelted all the time with tiny bits of cosmic debris, ranging in size from specks of dust to rocks the size of softballs. The latter can sometimes be seen as shooting stars. The point is that the atmosphere burns them all up and they aren't a concern to pedestrians for the most part.

On the moon, however, there's nothing to protect you. A tiny meteorite the size of the last joint of your thumb, traveling at ten times the speed of sound, could do an effective job of killing you if it hit you in the head. The longer we have people standing around on the lunar surface, the greater the likelihood that somebody is eventually going to get hit. I'm not sure what NASA plans to do about this, but it should be interesting.