"Rocket hits the moon": Musk's rocket is about to collide with the moon after 7 years of flying

According to foreign media reports, a rocket launched by SpaceX, founded by Musk, is about to collide with the moon after nearly 7 years in space. It is understood that the rocket, called Falcon 9, was launched from Florida in February 2015 to send a meteorological satellite into space.

(Falcon 9 launched in February 2015)

After the rocket's engine burned for a long time and sent the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Deep Space Climate Observatory to Lagrange Point, the rocket's second stage was abandoned. Meteorologist Eric Berger explained in a recent article in Ars Technica that at this stage, the rocket is high enough to return to Earth's atmosphere without enough fuel and no energy to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth-Moon system. So since February 2015, the rocket's orbit has been a bit chaotic. The researchers believe the rocket, which is about 4 tons, will intersect the moon at a speed of 2.58 km/s in a matter of weeks.

Bill Gray, a software developer for tracking near-Earth objects, asteroids, asteroids and comets, said: "The upper part of Falcon 9 has the potential to hit the far side of the moon on March 4, near the equator. This is the first incident of space junk hitting the moon that I know of. The data analyst wrote an article saying that the rocket flew over the moon at close range on Jan. 5, but would be close to the moon on March 4 and have some impact.

It is reported that due to some unfathomable effects, the exact location where the rocket will hit is still unknown. Gray said: "These unpredictable effects are very small, and we need further observations to pinpoint the exact time and location of the impact." As for whether this "rocket hit to the moon" can be observed from Earth, Gray said it may not be visible: "The volume of the moon blocks our view, and even if it is near Earth, the impact will occur a few days after the new moon." ”

Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, writes that the impact was not a big deal, however, space enthusiasts believe the impact could provide valuable data. Climatologist Berger said the event allowed people to observe the underground material ejected after the rocket hit.

Nine Pai News intern reporter Chen Mengting