Boom! Japanese astronomer catches meteorite smashing into the moon (video)

[Admin]

Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii captured the telltale flash of a meteorite impacting the moon, causing a brief flash on our celestial neighbor's nightside.

Boom! Japanese astronomer catches meteorite smashing into the moon (video) : Read more

 

[Helio]

Meteorite?

 

[billslugg]

Well, since there is no air on the Moon, the object did not start glowing until it actually touched the surface. That would make it a meteorite, not a meteor.

 

[Helio]

The convention, I thought, was to label them meteoroids (or the larger asteroids) that smash into the Moon. Anything left would be the meteorite.

Otherwise, at what distance above the surface to they get the name change? It's like calling a tadpole a frog.

 

[billslugg]

I believe a meteoroid is floating around in space, a meteor is burning in the atmosphere and a meteorite has touched the ground.

 

[iMaxPlanck]

Moon wins!

 

[Helio]

I believe a meteoroid is floating around in space, a meteor is burning in the atmosphere and a meteorite has touched the ground.

Ok, but a pedantic would argue that “smashing” is a process for a meteoroid. Once smashed, it’s a meteorite.

Ready-mix must harden before becoming concrete, though many ignore this view in most conversations.

 

[billslugg]

An object in the process of deceleration is a meteor, having touched the surface is a meteorite. Therefore having touched the Moon and decelerating with a brilliant flash, the object is in a superposition of states. It is both meteor and meteorite at the same time.

 

[joe3eagles]

With the higher frequency of impacts on the moon relative to Earth, I wonder how the possibility of multiple impacts on a permanent facility would be mitigated.

 

[Harry Costas]

It's nice to see meteor hitting the moon rather than hitting us.
Meteorite is the rock and when it's in motion it becomes a meteor.

 

[Sean D]

Ok, but a pedantic would argue that “smashing” is a process for a meteoroid. Once smashed, it’s a meteorite.

Ready-mix must harden before becoming concrete, though many ignore this view in most conversations.

I'm okay with that so long as what the ready-mix hardens into isn't called a "cement" sidewalk!

 

[colebennet1234]

Helo, why was there no trace light from travelling object which was exploding to that level?

 

[CharlesE]

The meteor was probably sent by some intelligent life form to see if they could alter the orbit of the moon about the earth. You know, just in case they need to alter the path of a threatening space rock heading toward their planet.

 

[kaybeetoyz]

Helo, why was there no trace light from travelling object which was exploding to that level?

I believe it has something to do with the lack of atmosphere on the moon. No air means no fire

 

[bolide]

Helo, why was there no trace light from travelling object which was exploding to that level?

Do you mean a streak of light as it fell, before impact?

On Earth, that is caused by the meteor being heated up by friction with the atmosphere, as it falls. The Moon has no atmosphere to speak of, therefore no heating and no light before impact.

 

[cometguy]

As others have commented here, this article is a mess with the hodge-podge uses of "meteorite" and "meteor". A meteor does not apply in the case of the moon, because it is the visible light caused by a *meteroid* entering the earth's atmosphere. Meteorites are only those objects to reach the ground. In the present case, we do not know if there are any "meteorites" that survived this impact on the moon (if that is indeed the explanation of this video, and not some spurious optical phenomenon), or if all that is left is dust/ice (as could be the case with the piece of a fragile comet). But any discussion of the object before the "flash" must be using the term "meteoroid" to be correct.

 

[cometguy]

It's nice to see meteor hitting the moon rather than hitting us.
Meteorite is the rock and when it's in motion it becomes a meteor.

no...... "meteorite" refers to stones that survive to reach the ground from a meteoroid impact; "meteor" does not apply to the moon because it's the visible light (i.e., "shooting star") of a meteoroid burning up upon entry into the earth's atmosphere. An object not impacting a planet's atmosphere or surface is called a meteoroid while it travels in space.

 

[bolide]

no...... "meteorite" refers to stones that survive to reach the ground from a meteoroid impact; "meteor" does not apply to the moon because it's the visible light (i.e., "shooting star") of a meteoroid burning up upon entry into the earth's atmosphere. An object not impacting a planet's atmosphere or surface is called a meteoroid while it travels in space.

So you're saying a "meteor" is not a physical object at all, but rather a flash of light?

 

[Pogo]

Correct. It’s a meteoroid when it’s a rock in an orbit, a meteor when it’s ‘burning’ in the atmosphere, and a meteorite if it manages to land on the ground. On airless bodies, it would skip the meteor phase as there is nothing to heat the object. Big rocks would be asteroids and small rocks would be meteoroids, I’m not sure where the turning point would be.
It would probably easier to just say a rock hit the moon, or a rock is burning up in Earth’s atmosphere.

 

[rocksnstars]

Boom? No air, no sound.

 

[Classical Motion]

I think there would be a sound boom. Interior to the surface. One should be able to "hear" it, or feel it, on the far side of impact. Possibly anywhere on the surface. An interior shock wave. It might even ring.

 

[Pogo]

Seismograph.

 

[Harry Costas]

In 2027 a very large Asteroid about 250 m will hopefully pass earth and moon.