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LCROSS - rocket impact - here's an intelligent question from my 8-year old son...

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  • 09-10-2009 12:01am
    #1
    derek27
    Closed Accounts Posts: 489 ✭✭


    So they are going to crash a rocket into a crater on the moon to look for water.

    I was telling my son about it earlier - he likes science and astronomy. He's aware of the precept that where there's life there invaribly must be water, according to modern scientists views.

    So he asks me, "well if they discover that there is water there, then what if there was life there too and they kill it with the impact?

    I wonder did NASA scientists think about that before they decided to crash the rocket into the crater!

    Good question from an 8-year-old kid if you ask me!


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    #2
    Zillah
    Registered Users Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Microorganisms are not killed by such impacts. It'd be like trying to clean your hands by crushing the germs between them. We're not talking about a meteor hitting moon-giraffes here. If there are microorganisms in the moon-dust, they'll just be thrown around a bit with the dust. If it were a very high speed impact that caused a powerful explosion then it could kill them off, but the probe won't cause anything like that.


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    #3
    Turtwig
    Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    It is likely that the it would be the kind of living things that are killed by you everyday in their millions.:)


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    #4
    derek27
    Closed Accounts Posts: 489 ✭✭derek27


    Yeah lads/ladies, we're talking about an 8 year old kids question here, not the technicalities of the issue which aren't the subject of the thread. But thanks for your feedback.


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    #5
    Beeker
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,643 Mod ✭✭✭✭Beeker


    derek27 wrote: »
    Yeah lads/ladies, we're talking about an 8 year old kids question here, not the technicalities of the issue which aren't the subject of the thread. But thanks for your feedback.

    Great to see the little lad is thinking like that. Try and encourage him to keep an interest in space and science, you never can tell where it will lead!!!


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    #6
    Zillah
    Registered Users Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    derek27 wrote: »
    Yeah lads/ladies, we're talking about an 8 year old kids question here, not the technicalities of the issue which aren't the subject of the thread. But thanks for your feedback.

    Oh I see. This thread exists not to discuss LCROSS and water/life on the moon, this is for us to go "Ooooh your child is so amazing!". Go coo over your little snowflake with the other parents or something.


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    #7
    Goduznt Xzst
    Registered Users Posts: 1,353 ✭✭✭Goduznt Xzst


    Zillah wrote: »
    Oh I see. This thread exists not to discuss LCROSS and water/life on the moon, this is for us to go "Ooooh your child is so amazing!". Go coo over your little snowflake with the other parents or something.

    Bad day at the office Zillah? :rolleyes:


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    #8
    Turtwig
    Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    derek27 wrote: »
    Yeah lads/ladies, we're talking about an 8 year old kids question here, not the technicalities of the issue which aren't the subject of the thread. But thanks for your feedback.

    Apologies, I thought you were asking a serious question.

    It's excellent to see a kiddo think like that, the ask an astronomer section is pretty good for kids



    May still be a little young for it though:)

    All videos can be got here


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    #9
    Zillah
    Registered Users Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Goduznt Xzst wrote: »
    Bad day at the office Zillah? :rolleyes:

    Yes, literally. I actually posted about this in A&A :)


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    #10
    irishbran77
    Closed Accounts Posts: 107 ✭✭irishbran77


    Zillah wrote: »
    Oh I see. This thread exists not to discuss LCROSS and water/life on the moon, this is for us to go "Ooooh your child is so amazing!". Go coo over your little snowflake with the other parents or something.

    The question is brilliant from an 8 year old and I hope his interest only grows because he'll make a wonderful, and possibly famous astronomer one day!

    But it's hilarious to see someone boast about their child so shamelessly! If Derek simply had thanked the two posters who went to the trouble of thinking about his child's question then he could have gotten away with his bragging... but actually telling them he wasn't looking for their ideas is hilarious!!


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