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Impact Images
10.15.09
 | Left: LCROSS Visible Light Camera image of the lunar south pole from an altitude of approximately 770 km. Some south pole craters of interest are labeled.
Credit: NASA Click for full resolution. |
 | Left: The Ultraviolet (UV)/Visible and Near Infrared down-looking spectrometers monitored the flash of the impact, the ejecta plume and ultimately the reflectance off the floor of Cabeus. The figure shows the total integrated radiance (integrated across all wavelengths measured by each spectrometer) as a function of time relative to the approximate impact time. The notional flash and ejecta plume periods are shown. Credit: NASA Click for full resolution. |
 | Left: This image was taken by the mid-infrared camera (MIR1), which is sensitive to wavelengths ranging from 6.0 – 10.0 microns. The thermal signature of the impact is detected clearly by the MIR1 camera and is seen in subsequent images. The yellow arrow points to the thermal signature of the impact as detected by the LCROSS spacecraft. Image resolution is ~4 meters /pixel.
Credit: NASA Click for full resolution. |
 | Left: This image was taken by the near infrared camera (NIR2), which is sensitive to wavelengths ranging from 0.9 – 1.7 microns. The near-infrared signature of the impact is detected clearly by the NIR2 camera. The yellow arrow points to the near-infrared signature of the impact as detected by the LCROSS spacecraft. Image resolution is ~2 meters / pixel.
Credit: NASA Click for full resolution. |
 | Left: This image was taken by the mid-infrared camera (MIR1), which is sensitive to wavelengths ranging from 6.0 – 10.0 microns. The thermal signature of the impact is detected clearly by the MIR1 camera. The arrow points to the thermal signature of the Centaur impact. This image was collected at an altitude of ~600 kilometers above the lunar surface with a resolution of ~1020 meters / pixel. White colors represent temperatures of approximately +35°C, red colors are approximately +18°C, and dark blue colors are approximately -45°C. Black areas are below -50°C.
Credit: NASA Click for full resolution. |
 | Left: A time series of images collected with the mid-infrared camera (MIR2). The first image (left to right) shows the Cabeus crater before impact while the next image shows this same scene with enhanced contrast stretching and no sign of impact is apparent yet. These frames are followed by images of Cabeus approximately zero, two, four, and six seconds after Centaur impact. The thermal signature of the impact is detected clearly by the MIR2 camera. The arrows point to the thermal signature of the impact as detected by the LCROSS spacecraft. Images are presented in false color and are stretched to enhance contrast. The image resolution ranges from ~1020 meters / pixel at time T=0 to ~990 meters / pixel at time T = +6 seconds.
Credit: NASA Click for full resolution. |
 | Left: A time series of images taken with the mid-infrared camera (MIR1). The first image (left to right) shows the Cabeus crater before impact, followed by images of Cabeus approximately zero, two, and four seconds after Centaur impact. The thermal signature of the impact is detected clearly by the MIR1 camera. The arrows point to the thermal signature of the impact as detected by the LCROSS spacecraft. Images are presented in grayscale (white = hot, black = cold) and are stretched to enhance contrast. The image resolution ranges from ~1020 meters / pixel at time T=0 to ~990 meters / pixel at time T = +4 seconds.
Credit: NASA Click for full resolution. |
