IT IS TIME to look at the moon differently than we have in the past. Thanks to NASA's recent Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) missions, our knowledge and view of our closest neighbor in space have forever changed.
Launched in June 2009, both missions have made major discoveries about the moon.
The LCROSS mission gained media attention last fall because its impact in a permanently shadowed crater on the moon in search of water was supposed to be visible to amateur astronomers worldwide with modest-size telescopes.
Unfortunately, the impact came and went with no plume visible to Earth-bound observers. While the public was disappointed, the best was yet to come.
In early November, NASA announced that the LCROSS impact on the moon had definitely uncovered water--not just minuscule amounts, but the equivalent of about 25 gallons of water from the one crater alone!
A discovery of this magnitude was not expected, because the moon was thought to be a dry, dead place. The presence of water means that future astronauts may be able to use water from the moon for drinking and building instead of bringing water from Earth, a costly and inconvenient proposition.
The source of the water and how much more of it exists are questions that have yet to be answered, but the discovery of plentiful water on the moon will certainly write a new chapter in the astronomy textbooks.
Not to be outdone by its sister mission, the LRO made eye-opening discoveries as its high-resolution cameras photographed the moon's surface in stunning detail.
Easily visible in several LRO photographs are the Apollo landing sites from the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the lunar modules, scientific instruments and astronauts' footprints visible.
While the LRO's main mission is to photograph and study the moon in great detail for future exploration, the photographs of the Apollo landing sites were an added bonus that received worldwide attention.
The LRO will continue to orbit the moon at an altitude of 30 miles as it collects valuable data for at least the next several months.
After decades of neglect, the moon is once again becoming the focus of serious attention and exploration thanks to NASA's LRO and LCROSS missions.
What surprises in the ancient lunar soil will we find next on our way back to the moon?
LOCAL ASTRONOMY NEWS!
During the evening of Jan. 18, a meteor streaking across the sky was seen by scores of people in the Mid-Atlantic states. It eventually punched through the roof of a medical building in Lorton while the building was still occupied by a few people. Luckily, nobody was hurt. This is only the fourth recorded fall of a meteorite in Virginia. I will be discussing this local astronomical event in a future column.
FEBRUARY SKIES
February finds Jupiter and Venus close to the western horizon after sunset. During the evening of the 15th, the thin crescent moon will lie above the pair in bright twilight.
Mars, just past its brightest at the end of January, is a conspicuous object all month. It is well up in the east after sunset, and will be close to the moon during the evening of the 25th.
Saturn is best viewed before sunrise this month, when it will be high in the southwestern sky. It will be near the moon during the mornings of Feb. 2 and March 2.
David Abbou of Stafford County conducts public outreach on astronomy and the space program as a NASA JPL solar system ambassador. He is a member of the Rappahannock Astronomy Club. Contact him at
Email: david.abbou@verizon.net.