See the SpaceX booster?If you find SpaceXs Falcon 9 booster in a telescope before it strikes the moon, let us know! Send out images and comments in to [email protected]. A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster will crash into the lunar surface in March, and you can track the rogue rocket as it nears the moon. The upper stage booster belongs to a Falcon 9 rocket that SpaceX released in February 2015 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The rocket brought the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite, which is a joint effort led by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. After finishing its objective, the upper stage was so high that it didnt have adequate fuel to return to Earth and has actually been in an uncontrolled orbit (due to completing gravitational forces of the Earth, moon and sun) for the last 7 years. Now, satellite trackers show that the rocket will slam into the far side of the moon on March 4. The Rome-based Virtual Telescope Project is providing totally free, live webcasts today (Feb. 7) and tomorrow (Feb. 8), during which they will track the Falcon 9 booster on its trajectory to the moon. The webcasts are readily available online, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). KEEP IN MIND: The live webcast depends on weather condition, so this schedule might change.Related: See the advancement of SpaceX rockets in picturesArtists illustration of the DSCOVR satellite connected to its SpaceX Falcon 9 upper phase shortly after launch in February 2015. The Falcon 9 stage will crash into the moon on March 4. (Image credit: SpaceX) The rocket booster is anticipated to crash into the moon at 7:25 a.m. EDT (1225 GMT) on March 4, according to a statement from the Virtual Telescope Project. Considering that the impact will take place on the moons farside, it will not be noticeable from Earth.” About one month previously, it will be visible from Earth for the last time and we will reveal it live to the world,” Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project, stated in the declaration. “On 8 Feb., in particular, [the rocket booster] will be at its brightest and closest to our planet, moving really quick throughout the stars.” Amateur astronomers can likewise track the rockets refresher course utilizing Unistellars Ephemeris tracker, which allows audiences to choose a target and identify its position in the night sky based on the audiences area and the date of observation. Utilizing this information, skywatchers can then correctly point their telescopes at the Falcon 9 rocket, which will be noticeable as an unexpected burst in between Feb. 7 and Feb. 9, according to Unistellar. While this unintended lunar crash wont show up from Earth, the hope is that moon-orbiting spacecraft such as NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Indias Chandrayaan-2 will have the ability to study the resulting crater or any subsurface material gets ejected from the impact. Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook..
The upper stage booster is part of a Falcon 9 rocket that SpaceX launched in February 2015 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. KEEP IN MIND: The live webcast is dependent on weather condition, so this schedule could change.Related: See the advancement of SpaceX rockets in picturesArtists illustration of the DSCOVR satellite connected to its SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage shortly after launch in February 2015. (Image credit: SpaceX) The rocket booster is expected to crash into the moon at 7:25 a.m. EDT (1225 GMT) on March 4, according to a statement from the Virtual Telescope Project.” Amateur astronomers can also track the rockets crash course using Unistellars Ephemeris tracker, which enables viewers to choose a target and identify its position in the night sky based on the audiences place and the date of observation.
