Nasa moon bombing in search of water

Soon after taking off, LCROSS used gravity to slingshot itself into a wide orbit around the Earth that would eventually put it on its collision course.

As it closes in on the moment of impact, the craft will divide in two. The fuel tank will detach from the body of the main LCROSS unit - which, stuffed with cameras and sensing equipment, acts as the mission's brain.

The first impact takes place on Oct 9, 2009 at 4:30 a.m. US PDT (7:30 a.m. US EDT, 10:30pm AEDT) with the second 4 minutes later.

Rocket will hit the moon at a speed of nine thousand miles per hour, which is more than seven times the speed of sound. The impact will be equivalent to the power of 1.5 tonnes of TNT, releasing 350 thousand kilograms of lunar dust. Impact will create the 6.2 mile high cloud of dust, in which scientists will search for the remains of water.

A source of water on the Moon could provide hydrogen for fuel, and assist in the establishment of a permanent moon base.

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Watching the event:

Amateur astronomy buffs with telescopes who live west of the Mississippi may try to catch a glimpse of it through their own instruments because it will still be dark outside. People who live in areas where it will be daylight won't be able to see it from home telescopes.

You can watch a live stream of the NASA Moon bombing on NASA TV or via the SLOOH telescope system.