Open AccessPrepare for Impact!
Author(s) -
Timur Nozdrachev,
Evgenij Zubko,
Anton Kochergin,
Ekaterina Chornaya,
Maxim Zheltobryukhov,
Gorden Videen,
Koji Wada
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
research notes of the aas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2515-5172
DOI - 10.3847/2515-5172/ac5834
Subject(s) - ejecta , ephemeris , equator , radius , physics , astronomy , geology , geodesy , astrobiology , supernova , latitude , computer science , computer security , satellite
We model the motion of the WE0913A object based on the latest ephemeris and confirm its impact on the far side of the Moon on 2022 March 4. However, this latest ephemeris suggests that the impact will occur at 12:34 pm (UTC) and will be close enough to the lunar limb that the dust cloud could be visible from Earth. The impact could lead to the ejection of a mass of 677 kg, having a velocity in excess of 610 m s −1 , and 195 kg moving faster than the lunar escape velocity. Such an ejecta cloud could become apparent shortly after impact in ground-based observations slightly above the equator (∼1/8 of the lunar radius) over the dark side of the Moon. In the V filter of the Johnson photometric system, the ejecta cloud is expected to be brighter than 4 mag, making possible its detection even at dawn.