NASA bombing the moon

[Madame Scarlet]

So apparently on Friday NASA is going to launch a missile at the moon. My boss printed out an article from a site that is clearly not a reliable source, but I was curious about the claims it makes and if any of them are remotely accurate.

Here is the bad source that claims bombing the moon will cause terrible things to happen on earth.

[Distind]

I'd be amazed if this has any more impact on the moon than everything else that hits it every year.

[Bluefinger]

Holy shit, that bad source is full of science fail that it hurts to read. There's so many things wrong with it, I just don't know where to start debunking all that crap.

Regardless, NASA are just going to fire a lump of spaceship into the moon at high velocity, so that the impact causes enough material to be ejected from the moon's surface for NASA to do some analysis on the contents from Earth using telescopes. If they can find enough traces of water, then the case for there being ice under the surface of the moon on certain spots is given more weight.

[caseagainstfaith]

Regardless, NASA are just going to fire a lump of spaceship into the moon at high velocity, so that the impact causes enough material to be ejected from the moon's surface for NASA to do some analysis on the contents from Earth using telescopes. If they can find enough traces of water, then the case for there being ice under the surface of the moon on certain spots is given more weight.

Correct here is a better source and a more detailed quote

The U.S. space agency NASA is planning to crash a spacecraft into the moon as part of a mission to see if there is water on the cratered lunar surface.

NASA says it will slam a used rocket into the moon's south pole on Friday to kick up a massive cloud of lunar dirt.

The rocket is now attached to a special satellite. After the rocket's impact, the satellite will follow closely behind to study the lunar dirt spraying up to see if there is any water or ice in it.

The satellite will beam live pictures of the impact and debris back to Earth before it too crashes into the moon.

NASA says within one hour, scientists will know if the lunar dirt contains any water or ice.

My Source - www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-08-voa43.cfm

[Madame Scarlet]

I found an even crazier article on the bombing.

Apparently, we're bombing the moon as an act of war against the extraterrestrial civilizations on the dark side of the moon.

The planned October 9, 2009 bombing of the moon by a NASA orbiter that will bomb the moon with a 2-ton kinetic weapon to create a 5 mile wide deep crater as an alleged water-seeking and lunar colonization experiment, is contrary to space law prohibiting environmental modification of celestial bodies. The NASA moon bombing, a component of the LCROSS mission, may also trigger conflict with known extraterrestrial civilizations on the moon as reported on the moon in witnessed statements by U.S. astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, and in witnessed statements to NSA (National Security Agency) photos and documents regarding an extraterrestrial base on the dark side of the moon.

[Mira]

We've done it, people! We've shown that moon who's boss.

Unfortunately, it doesn't like being bombed.

[Amaranth]

Oct 8, 2009 14:48:03 GMT -5 Madame Scarlet said:

I found an even crazier article on the bombing.

Apparently, we're bombing the moon as an act of war against the extraterrestrial civilizations on the dark side of the moon.

Great. Thanks a lot, NASA, now Starfleet's gonna be on our asses.

[johninoz]

NASA's got no choice but to bomb the moon-aliens. It turns out they're all Muslims.
Heh heh heh, and wouldn't that piss of Fundies!

[Trevelyan]

Does the guy in the first article actually think that hitting the moon with a mere 2 ton kinetic weapon is actually going to make it fly away from the earth? That is fail.

[MaybeNever]

Once again, crashing stuff into other stuff and watching the resulting explosion is the way science advances.

[Ian1732]

Tomorrow's headline:

MOON RETALIATES!

[Madame Scarlet]

Oct 9, 2009 12:08:40 GMT -5 Trevelyan said:

Does the guy in the first article actually think that hitting the moon with a mere 2 ton kinetic weapon is actually going to make it fly away from the earth? That is fail.

He also thinks the moon is hollow.

[Trevelyan]

Oct 9, 2009 14:37:18 GMT -5 Madame Scarlet said:

Oct 9, 2009 12:08:40 GMT -5 Trevelyan said:

Does the guy in the first article actually think that hitting the moon with a mere 2 ton kinetic weapon is actually going to make it fly away from the earth? That is fail.

He also thinks the moon is hollow.

Everyone knows that the moon is at least half full of cheeze wiz at all times.

[Admiral Lithp]

I read about this the other day.

Fuck yeah, take that, moon! For SCIENCE!

Also, just about every comment I've seen on this is completely retarded. Statements range from "we could lose the moon from lunar dust affecting the orbit" to "there could be aliens on the moon" to "the moon could be hollow" to "it might make everyone on Earth crazy" and more. All backed by [smart-sounding pseudo]scientific claims, of course.

[Sandafluffoid]

I'm not sciencey enough to understand really, but isn't this a spectacularly inaccurate way of getting data about the surface, or just below the surface of the moon?