A Real-Time Search for Interstellar Impacts on the Moon

TL;DR

This paper proposes a lunar orbit telescope to detect and analyze interstellar meteoroid impacts in real-time, enabling detailed study of their properties and impact rates.

Contribution

It introduces a novel lunar orbit telescope design capable of detecting interstellar impacts and measuring their physical characteristics in real-time.

Findings

A 2-meter telescope can detect over one interstellar impact per year.

The method allows for determining impactor velocity, mass, density, and composition.

Potential to distinguish interstellar impacts from Solar System meteoroids.

Abstract

The discovery of `Oumuamua and CNEOS 2014-01-08 allowed for a calibration of the impact rate of interstellar objects. We propose a new telescope in lunar orbit to study in real-time interstellar meteoroid impacts and to serve as a laboratory for hypervelocity collisions. We show that a telescope with diameter $D_a \gtrsim 2 \mathrm{\; m}$ would be capable of detecting $\gtrsim 1$ interstellar meteoroid impacts (among hundreds of Solar System meteoroid impacts) per year. For each meteoroid, measurements of the reflected sunlight and shadow, as well as the impact's optical flash and crater, would allow for the determination of the 3D velocity, mass, density, and composition, as well as the radiative efficiency.