Nasa's LCROSS moon impact in pictures

Picture of the moon centering Nasa's intended impact site for LCROSS. The dark ring is the 25-arcsec field lens holder for the Altair adaptive optics system. Observers will be able to use any bright feature within this ring as a pseudo-star to guide the telescope to the impact plume. It will also help correct the image for atmospheric distortion. Photograph: C.E. Woodward, K. Roth, A. Stephens and the LCROSS Impact Team/Gemini Observatory/AURA

STK's image of LCROSS after Centaur separated at 10:50am. After separation, LCROSS turned 180 degrees to point its science equipment towards the receding Centaur. Photograph: Nasa

An audience watches the day's events on a big screen at the Newseum in Washington Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

First view of the moon through a camera onboard LCROSS Photograph: Nasa

A closer view from the LCROSS craft Photograph: Nasa

Moments before Centaur's impact Photograph: Nasa

Space enthusiast gather to watch the impact at Ames Research Centre at Moffett Field in California Photograph: PETER DASILVA/EPA

Carol Carroll, a Nasa Ames employee, and her son David with Lawrence Nguyen join other space enthusiast to watch the impact Photograph: Peter Dasilva/EPA