Update for Feb. 8: The Virtual Telescope Project will hold a 2nd webcast today, Feb. 8, to show live views of SpaceXs out-of-control Falcon 9 booster on course to strike the moon. The webcast will begin at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) and may not have commentary.See the SpaceX booster?If you spot SpaceXs Falcon 9 booster in a telescope prior to it hits the moon, let us understand! Send images and comments in to [email protected]. A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster will crash into the lunar surface area in March, and you can track the rogue rocket as it nears the moon. The upper phase booster is part of a Falcon 9 rocket that SpaceX introduced 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 mission, the upper phase was so high that it didnt have sufficient fuel to return to Earth and has actually been in an unchecked orbit (due to contending gravitational forces of the Earth, moon and sun) for the last seven years. Now, satellite trackers reveal that the rocket will slam into the far side of the moon on March 4. The Rome-based Virtual Telescope Project is offering 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 available online, starting at 1 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). KEEP IN MIND: The live webcast is dependent on weather, so this schedule could alter. The job has actually currently captured telescope pictures of the wayward Falcon 9 booster as it nears the moon.Related: See the evolution of SpaceX rockets in picturesThe rocket booster is anticipated to crash into the moon at 7:25 a.m. EDT (1225 GMT) on March 4, according to a declaration from the Virtual Telescope Project. Considering that the impact will happen on the moons farside, it wont be visible from Earth.” About one month earlier, it will show up from Earth for the last time and we will show it live to the world,” Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project, said in the declaration. “On 8 Feb., in particular, [the rocket booster] will be at its brightest and closest to our world, moving very quick across the stars.” Artists illustration of the DSCOVR satellite connected to its SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage shortly after launch in February 2015. The Falcon 9 stage will crash into the moon on March 4. (Image credit: SpaceX) Amateur astronomers can likewise track the rockets crash course utilizing Unistellars Ephemeris tracker, which permits audiences to choose a target and determine its position in the night sky based on the audiences place and the date of observation. Using this information, skywatchers can then effectively point their telescopes at the Falcon 9 rocket, which will be noticeable as an abrupt burst in between Feb. 7 and Feb. 9, according to Unistellar. While this unintended lunar collision will not show up from Earth, the hope is that moon-orbiting spacecraft such as NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Indias Chandrayaan-2 will be able to study the resulting crater or any subsurface product gets ejected from the effect. Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook..
Update for Feb. 8: The Virtual Telescope Project will hold a 2nd webcast today, Feb. 8, to reveal live views of SpaceXs out-of-control Falcon 9 booster on course to hit the moon. The webcast will begin at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) and might not have commentary.See the SpaceX booster?If you spot SpaceXs Falcon 9 booster in a telescope before it strikes the moon, let us know! The upper stage booster is part of a Falcon 9 rocket that SpaceX released in February 2015 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The job has already caught telescope images of the wayward Falcon 9 booster as it nears the moon.Related: See the advancement of SpaceX rockets in picturesThe 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.
