PRESENT GROUND BASED
OBSERVING PROGRAMS.
By
David O. Darling
These programs consist of monitoring the Moon for Lunar Transient Phenomena during lunar eclipses, earthshine region of crescent Moon, and the directed studies of select lunar formations. Also space craft being sent to the Moon will provide for future observing opportunities.
Lunar Eclipse and L.T.P.
The monitoring of the Moon for Lunar Transient Phenomena (L.T.P.) during Lunar eclipses, is a reflection of nearly 30 years of observational data gathered from my own observations as well as those submitted by other observers.. This project has been named Operation Firefly. The purpose of this project is that if an L.T.P. event should take place during the Moon passage through the umbra shadow it should shine brightly as the Sun light is taken away. The reason I came up with this name was due to what would take place in my yard if the Sun was to be eclipsed. The fireflies are moving around sending glowing signals to each other. With the Sun out, their feeble light is not visible. If the light of the Sun would be taken away by a solar eclipse, the glowing insects would stand out like beacons in the darkness. To view the observations for this research just click on the L.T.P. Reports hyperlink.
Earthshine and L.T.P.
I have been conducting an observational program for the past five years which is the monitoring the crescent Moon earthshine region also known as (Ashen Lights). The great majority of lunar transient phenomena has taken place while the Moon was between 2 and 5 days old. This study consists of many observations of the Moon making an estimate on the earthshine brightness as explained in Chapter 8 of the L.T.P. Observing Manual. Along with these observations are satellite images of the Earth over the Pacific Ocean basin to attempt to determine if cloud cover has any effect on the intensity of brightness. The image of the Earth as seen from the Moon will also be included in this study to determine the sub-lunar point over the Pacific Ocean. Also, when possible images will be taken of the earthshine region using Santa Barbara CCD Camera so that photometry can be conducted on the Lunar Seas and the brightest feature on the Moon, the crater Aristarchus. The purpose for this examination is to determine if the earthshine increase in brightness corresponds with the increase in brightness of the crater Aristarchus. If this crater becomes very bright and the Earthshine overall remains obscure and faint the phenomena may not be related to the Earthshine intensity. The name of this observing program is called Operation Foxfire, named after phenomena observed on decaying branches that revealed when they are rolled over. The biochemical luminescence when viewed in pitch dark looks like a faint white glow. I observed this many times during my Army National Guard days in the woods of northern Wisconsin. To view the observations for this research just click on the L.T.P. Reports hyperlink. To view the observations for this research just click on the L.T.P. Reports hyperlink.
COORDINATED OBSERVING PROGRAMS
This aspect of observing is when the coordinator directs observers around the World to watch a specific lunar formation for unusual activity. This observing window is determined by using a computer program called Lunar Observers Tool Kit by Harry D. Jamieson of A.L.P.O. When you enter the UT date and time into this program it will give you the date and time when lighting conditions will be similar to original observation.
Doing coordinated observing programs of craters such as Tycho have produced some very interesting results. You can learn more about these observations by going to the L.T.P. Fact Sheet on column on left of screen and clicking onto the lunar feature you are interested on the table listed below the Lunar Map.
REPEAT LIGHTING CONDITIONS OBSERVING WINDOWS
Dr. Anthony Cook generates a list of predictions for repeat illumination/libration events which was put in the L.T.P. newsletter. Due to having a membership growth it can no longer be put in the newsletter. It will be posted at the following A.L.P.O. web site. This will free up some space for the newsletter which can better be used to address the L.T.P. subject in more detail.
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/lunarstuff/ltp.html
UPCOMING LUNAR MISSIONS
After having two successful observing programs in conjunction with a Luna spacecraft mission,. I am making every effort to contact the Principle Investigators of the new Lunar missions to present our desire to monitor the Moon for Lunar Transient Phenomena, while their spacecraft is in Lunar orbit. It is an extremely rare opportunity to monitor the Moon for a chance to document an L.T.P. event that would also be recorded by onboard instruments. You can learn more about past ground based observing programs by checking out link located in the left column.
SMART-1
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=10
This mission is the under the control of the European Space Agency, and was launched on 27 September 2003 at 23:17 UT. The location of the Launch was at the European Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana.
Rollout of launcher to launch pad.
Lift Off!
This spacecraft is using a new thruster system called the Stationary Plasma Hall-effect thruster. The device uses xenon gas as propellant. The mission is using celestial mechanics by doing swing bys using Earth for gravity assistance. It will take 15-17 months to arrive at the Moon. The expected arrival time is sometime in December 2004.
Smart-1 science payload, with a total mass of some 15 kg, features many innovative instruments and advance technologies. Among these are: miniaturized high-resolution camera (AMIE) for lunar surface imaging, a near-infrared point-spectrometer (SIR) for lunar mineralogy investigation, and a very compact X-ray spectrometer (D-CIXS) with a new type of detector and micro-collimator which will provide fluorescence spectroscopy and imagery of the Moon's surface elemental composition. During the cruise phase to reach the Moon, several of these instruments will be making observations of other celestial targets as opportunities arise, such as - for D-CIXS - X-ray sources or comets.
Contact has been made with Dr. Guiseppe D. Racca ESA Directorate for Scientific Programs of Netherlands. He sent me the following email:
"I have passed your request for collaboration with the Smart-1 concerning the Lunar Transient Phenomena to the SMART-1 Project Scientist Bernard Foing and Science and Technology Operation Manager Andrea Marini, who are in charge respectively of the scientific aspects and observation planning implementation. It seems to me an interesting opportunity, and I hope we will be in a position to work with you and coordinate our observations. Best regards.
Giuseppe D. Racca"
As we get closer to the arrival of the spacecraft to the Moon more information will forthcoming.
LUNAR A MISSION
http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/enterp/missions/lunar-a/index.shtml
The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science has two missions going to the Moon. The first called the Lunar-A, is due to be launched in FY 2004 by the M-V launch vehicle from Kagoshima Space Center (KSC). This mission aims to study the lunar interior using seismometers and heat-flow probes installed in the penetrators. Two penetrators will be deployed on the lunar surface; one on the nearside, and another on the far side. The mission was due to be launched in FY 2002 but they have been having trouble with the launch vehicle. This will be an excellent opportunity to monitor the Moon for Lunar Transient Phenomena to see if any correlations take place during seismic activity.
Lunar-A launching penetrators
Different stages of penetrators deployment.
I still attempting to contact the principle investigator for this mission to present ground based observing program for Lunar Transient Phenomena during the duration of the mission.
SELENE MISSION
http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/enterp/missions/selene/index.shtml
Selene is the second of two missions being sent by The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science . Selene (SELenological and ENgineering Explorer), developed in the first ISAS/NASDA joint lunar program, will be launched by H-11A rocket in (FY) 2005. The major objectives of the mission are to obtain scientific data of the lunar origin and evolution and to develop the technology for future lunar exploration. The mission, which is the largest mission to the Moon after the Apollo program, will consist of a main orbiting satellite at about 100 km altitude in the polar circular orbit and two sub satellites (Relay Satellite / VRAD Satellite) in elliptical orbits with apolune at 2400 km and 800 km. The orbiters will carry instruments for scientific investigation of the Moon, on the Moon, and from the Moon.
Spacecraft Operation
The spacecraft consists of an orbiter which goes around the Moon at about 100 km altitude near a polar orbit, and a relay satellite on an elliptical orbit with initial apolune at 2,400 km. The orbiter is composed of a mission module and a propulsion module. Selene will carry instruments for scientific investigation, including mapping of lunar topography and surface composition, measurement of the gravity and magnetic fields, and observation of lunar and solar-terrestrial environments. After its one-year remote-sensing mission, the propulsion module of the main orbiter will separate to test its soft-landing technology. After landing, different VLBI observation will be conducted for another two months by radio sources on both the relay satellite and the propulsion module.
I am still awaiting for a reply from the principle investigator for this mission.
TRAILBLAZER MISSION
Trans Orbital INC is getting closer to making the leap to the Moon when they had the International Space Company (ICS) located Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan launch the Trailblazer into low earth orbit on 20 December 2002. Along with the successful launch they announced they were ready for launch to the Moon in October 2003. This launch date has passed and no new announcements have been made as to the new date. I have sent a letter to the President of the company, Dennis Laurie presenting our offer to monitor the Moon for Lunar Transient Phenomena during the mission time. He called me regarding that letter and agreed that it would be great to have our program monitor the Moon during time period of the Mission. The level of our participation with the mission will be discussed in the future as we get closer to December launch date.
Trailblazer over the Moon.
Final stage of the mission by soft landing on Moon.
As you can see there are many opportunities upcoming to participate with the Lunar Transient Phenomena Watch during live missions.
Another thing that makes me very excited is President Bush of the United States has proposed a return to the Moon by 2020. Beginning no later than 2008 they will be sending a series of robotic missions to the lunar surface to research and prepare for future human exploration. By 2015 they will be sending crew exploration vehicles to undertake extended human missions with the goal of living there for increased periods of time.
The Peoples Republic of China also has plans to send robotic probes to the Moon to be followed by a manned mission during the next five years. The nation of India also has plans to explore the Moon by sending a robotic probe to the Moon within the next five years.
In conclusion, you can see there are many opportunities to participate with the Lunar Transient Phenomena program. They are the ongoing ground based observational programs, or the upcoming Moon missions where we can assist in supplementing the data gather by these probes. If you are interested in being a part of any of these programs, complete the observer registration form on the left column of this page.