A Darker View

In a decision that has got to be the result of an agonizing process, the LCROSS mission team has decided to revise their target selection once more. The new target is the crater Cabeus proper, not Cabeus-A as announced a couple weeks ago.

A new finder chart from NMSU is shown below. You may note that Cabeus is closer to the pole than the previous target, this should make the plume easier to see, as this target presents a better background against which the plume may be visible.

The target change should not change the impact time by much, still looking forward to 1130UT on the 9th (1:30HST). Keep an eye out for revised impact details as October 9th draws closer.

LCROSS impact target at Cabeus-A, image credit NMSU/MSFC Tortugas Observatory