Sky at Night Magazine

[turboluv]

Could someone tell me what this object might be that is striking the surface of the moon?

Here is the video, I shot it a few weeks back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_0bfhYK8YI&hd=1

[afmanchester]

Well done. Good capture.

This article is probably a good starting point http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/22dec_lunartaurid/

[crazy about stars]

hi what were you using to record that

[bajr]

mmmm. If that is indeed an object striking the moon it must be mountain sized. Ithink it;s a bird silhouette, cant explain the ejecta phenomena though.
Brian

[afmanchester]

[quote]ORIGINAL: bajr

mmmm. If that is indeed an object striking the moon it must be mountain sized. Ithink it;s a bird silhouette, cant explain the ejecta phenomena though.
Brian
[/quote]

I am certainly very sceptical. I'm surprised something that large hitting the moon has not cropped up somewhere else?

That "explosion" is enormous too.

[worcspaul]

I rather think the "impact" is an optical illusion. The object in motion could be an aircraft or satellite that just catches the sun as it reaches the edge of the Moon's disc, giving the impression of a plume of ejecta. The apparent speed of travel, to me, suggests a satellite.

Though Heavens Above is a useful site for predictions, it would be useful if it provided historical data as well, so that you could put date/time in and have it display was was passing over at that moment. Don't know if there are any web sites out there that do that.

[bajr]

Well i think if it were an aircraft then it would'nt catch the sun just as it left the limb.And if it were a sattelite it would'nt be in silhouette.

Brian

[parus ater]

You get this a lot in ornithological observation. A light coloured bird on a bright background shows as being very dark and small then it breaks onto a dark background where it appears to be very light and very large.
What I think this is is a bird flying toward the moon and the thinness of it's silhouette being bleached by the brightness of the moons face and then banking left where it becomes more visible. Breaking onto the dark background makes the colouration appear much brighter coupled with translucent feathers being backlit.

I'm even going to put my kneck and and say it's a Grey Heron ([i]Ardea cinerea[/i])

[bajr]

[quote]I'm even going to put my kneck and and say it's a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) [/quote]

Well stuff me with something soft and fluffy .I was thinking along the very same lines.

Brian

[parus ater]

Educated minds think alike, mate [;)]