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Wouldn't a meteorite impact be even more visible in the dark part of a new moon? Why did researchers go out of their way to observe one during a lunar eclipse?

Wouldn't a meteorite impact be even more visible in the dark part of a new moon? Why did researchers go out of their way to observe one during a lunar eclipse? (In elementary school during NASA's Mercury program, a joke made the rounds that a certain Eastern Bloc country's space program would land on the Sun by "flying at night".)

chabes 8y ago
It sounds like it was simply observed by multiple separate casual observations. I doubt anyone would “go out of their way to observe one during a lunar eclipse”
- DoubleCribble 8y ago
  And yet, there was at least one... "On this occasion, Madiedo doubled the number of telescopes trained on different parts of the moon – from four to eight – in the hope of seeing an impact. “I had a feeling, this time will be the time it will happen,” says Madiedo."[0] [0]https://www.newscientist.com/article/2191526-a-meteorite-hit-the-moon-during-yesterdays-total-lunar-eclipse/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2191526-a-meteorite-hit...
macintux 8y ago
The project that captured this one also actively monitors around new moons and previous eclipses.
dylan604 8y ago
Yes, the new moon is when they are most active, however, one of the guys in the program specifically has been trying to see an impact during an eclipse for quite some time now. The shadow of the Earth causes the new moon phase, and it is the same shadow that causes the eclipse. Why wouldn't they take the free bonus 2ish hours of dark moon time to search?
- davidmurdoch 8y ago
  Meteorites aren't more active during a new moon; they're just easier to see. The shadow of the Earth does not cause the new moon phase. If it did, it'd be a lunar eclipse.
- logfromblammo 8y ago
  The shadow of the Moon itself causes the new-phase. The only eclipse possible during the new-phase of the Moon is a solar eclipse. Lunar eclipses only happen during the full-phase.

chabes 8y ago

It sounds like it was simply observed by multiple separate casual observations. I doubt anyone would “go out of their way to observe one during a lunar eclipse”

DoubleCribble 8y ago
And yet, there was at least one... "On this occasion, Madiedo doubled the number of telescopes trained on different parts of the moon – from four to eight – in the hope of seeing an impact. “I had a feeling, this time will be the time it will happen,” says Madiedo."[0] [0]https://www.newscientist.com/article/2191526-a-meteorite-hit-the-moon-during-yesterdays-total-lunar-eclipse/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2191526-a-meteorite-hit...

macintux 8y ago

The project that captured this one also actively monitors around new moons and previous eclipses.

dylan604 8y ago

Yes, the new moon is when they are most active, however, one of the guys in the program specifically has been trying to see an impact during an eclipse for quite some time now. The shadow of the Earth causes the new moon phase, and it is the same shadow that causes the eclipse. Why wouldn't they take the free bonus 2ish hours of dark moon time to search?

davidmurdoch 8y ago
Meteorites aren't more active during a new moon; they're just easier to see. The shadow of the Earth does not cause the new moon phase. If it did, it'd be a lunar eclipse.
logfromblammo 8y ago
The shadow of the Moon itself causes the new-phase. The only eclipse possible during the new-phase of the Moon is a solar eclipse. Lunar eclipses only happen during the full-phase.