Blowing up 15 tons of TNT on the moon is visible from the earth - I would not have expected that. And now I wonder what a Tsar Bomba like bomb - 50,000,000+ tons of TNT equivalent - on the moon would look like.
Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
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Re: Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
#12There is speculation that the crater Giordano Bruno was caused by a large impact on the moon in 1178. If true, it would have been way larger, but evidence of any debris hitting the earth is missing, so it's probably just a nice story.
Re: Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
#13How would a potential base on the moon defend against that?
I think reactive armor might be an interesting strategy. But, then again, it was traveling at 40,000 MPH, which, I think, places it at about twice the velocity of high explosive plastique... So, would blasting it, before it blasts you, actually work?
I think there would need to be a complex early detection and warning system, capable of intercepting high speed objects, well beyond what we consider normal terrestrial speeds. Being lazy, I'm tempted to just say "why not some lasers, maybe?" and shrug, but maybe there are some cooler options possible?
Seems like a pretty unexplored deficiency of moon habitation.
Re: Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
#14How would a potential base on the moon defend against that?
Track any asteroids/debris that could impact the moon and keep it out of the way.
Re: Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
#15Any reason this was unveiled 5 months after it happened?
Re: Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
#16Any reason this was unveiled 5 months after it happened?
Possibly it took almost that long before someone viewed it or it was otherwise analyzed. The data pile is large.
Re: Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
#17Better link to the video http://youtu.be/kuLzjwkXxZw?t=2m50s from youtube without the annoying space.com monetization
Re: Record-Breaking Meteorite Crash on Moon
#18Blowing up 15 tons of TNT on the moon is visible from the earth - I would not have expected that. And now I wonder what a Tsar Bomba like bomb - 50,000,000+ tons of TNT equivalent - on the moon would look like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_A119
We almost found out. As insane as that plan was, it was relatively sane compared to this, and similar, tests: