Universe Today » Moon

3-D Virtual Moon Browser from Kaguya Data

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:57:08 +0000

JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has released all the data from the Kaguya mission to the public. One of the ways to view the data is through a very nifty 3-D virtual brower. It only is available in Japanese for now (English version by the end of November, they say) so it is a little difficult to navigate, but once you figure it out, prepare yourself for loads of fun. First, you need Java. Then…
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LRO's Closer Look at the Apollo 12 Landing Site

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:18:43 +0000

Close-up view of Apollo 12 landing site from LRO. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Wow! Just look at the detail visible in this image of the Apollo 12 landing site taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from its lower mapping orbit of 50 km above the surface. Compared to earlier images taken in September when LRO was in a higher orbit, the Lunar Module descent stage really stands out, as well as the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP). Also visible are the trails left by spacewalking astronauts. From this and other LROC landing site images, it is clear that astronaut activity lowers the albedo, or reflectivity of the surface. Areas of heaviest activity have the lowest albedo, especially around the LM. NASA says this effect is most likely due to compaction of a very loose surface powder by the astronauts just walking around.

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Post tags: Apollo landing sites, LRO, Moon

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LRO Takes Closer Look at Apollo 17 Landing Site

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:30:41 +0000

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The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter maneuvered into its 50-km mapping orbit on September 15, which enables it to take a closer look at the Moon than any previous orbiter. This also allows for comparing previous images taken by LRO when it was at its higher orbit. Here's the Apollo 17 landing site: just look at what is all visible, especially in the image below! These images have more than two times better resolution than the previously acquired images.

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Post tags: Apollo landing sites, LRO, Moon

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Moon Crash Plume Visible to Spacecraft But Not Earth Telescopes

Nancy Atkinson — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:54:12 +0000

Zoomed in image of the impact plume. The extent of the plume at 15 sec is approximately 6-8 km in diameter. Credit: NASA

Nine science instruments on board the LCROSS spacecraft captured the entire crash sequence of the Centaur impactor before the spacecraft itself impacted the surface of the moon. But from Earth, any evidence of the plume was hidden by the rim of a giant impact basin, a 3 kilometer-high (2-mile) mountain directly in the way for Earth telescopes trained on the impact site, said Dr. Peter Schultz, co-investigator for LCROSS. Additionally, the crater created by the impact was only about 28 meters across (92 feet) but Schultz said the best resolution Earth telescopes can garner is about 180 meters (200 yards) across.
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More Water on the Moon: Second Instrument Confirms Findings

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:10:38 +0000

In late September, a team of scientists announced finding water molecule signatures across much of the Moon's surface. Now, a second instrument on board India's Chandrayaan-1’s lunar orbiter confirms how the water is being produced. The Sub keV Atom reflecting Analyzer (SARA) corroborates that electrically charged particles from the Sun interact with the oxygen present in some dust grains on the lunar surface to produce water. But the results bring out a new mystery of why some protons get reflected and not absorbed.
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Post tags: Chandrayaan-1, Moon, water on the moon

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Moon Impact Data and Images from LCROSS: First Glance

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:54:15 +0000

Even without big explosions or bright plumes of ejecta, for all intents and purposes it appears LCROSS's impact on the Moon was a smashing success. While the mainstream media and the public seemed disappointed in the lack of visual data, mission managers said the mission has garnered plenty of spectroscopic data, and that's where the real science can be found. "There was an impact and we saw the crater with spectroscopic data," said LCROSS principal investigator Tony Colaprete. "We have the data we need to address the questions we set out to answer." The big question is whether the impact kicked up any signatures of water ice, but it could take days, weeks or months to analyze all the data.
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LRO Spots Apollo 14 Booster Crash Site on Moon

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:44:25 +0000

Speaking of lunar impacts: While we await the science data from the LCROSS mission impact earlier this morning, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team has released this image of another impact on the Moon 38 years ago . The crater in the center of this image was formed by Apollo 14's Saturn IVB booster. The booster was intentionally impacted into the lunar surface on Feb. 4, 1971. The impact caused a minor "moonquake" that scientists used to learn about the moon's interior structure. Seismometers placed on the surface by the Apollo 12 astronauts returned data on the tremor.
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LCROSS Impacts Moon, Science Data Pending

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:30:01 +0000

UPDATE: The MMTO Telescope on Mount Hopkins in Arizona has video from their observations that, while fuzzy, possibly show a bright plume emerging from the crater. (Further analysis says probably not). The video is here,,

In a bit of an anti-climax, the Centaur second stage, and later the LCROSS spacecraft impacted Cabeus Crater but produced no visible plume. Analysis of navigation telemetry indicated the trajectory was spot on, and the Centaur should have hit the surface to within about 64 meters (210 feet) of the planned target. The video above is from NASA TV, and below if video from the Lick Observatory, whose 36-inch telescope was trained on the Moon's south pole. They didn't see anything, as reports from telescopes at Palomar, Arizona, and Mauna Kea also confirmed. But a dim impact would mean regolith ejecta, which scientists say is good because that means it hit more dirt than rocks. Another thing to remember is that science is not always "seen" in visible light. The LCROSS sensors and instruments will provide the best data.

I'll post more later after the LCROSS press conference at 9 am CDT. In the meantime, enjoy these animations created by Emily Lakdawalla of the Planetary Society from the LCROSS camera as it approached the Moon — very nice!
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LCROSS (and the Moon) Up Close

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:22:54 +0000

The LCROSS spacecraft will be giving it all up for science Friday morning when it and the second stage of the Centaur rocket impact Cabeus crater on the Moon's south pole, searching for possible water ice hidden inside the perpetually dark portions of the crater. Since we'll never see LCROSS again, its only fitting to take a good long, last look at her. Solar System Ambassador and Planetary Society volunteer Ken Kremer had the wonderful opportunity to see both LCROSS and her sister ship the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in the Astrotech Space Operations Facility clean room in Titusville, FL earlier this year before the dynamic duo launched together on June 18. Ken has graciously given permission to allow us to publish these images (which were previously posted on the Planetary Society website) so we can all remember what she looked like. Above is a side view of LCROSS wrapped in gold multi-layer thermal insulation. The solar array is on the left side. Science instrument, avionics, navigation, communication and thruster equipment panels encircle and are attached to the central payload adapter ring. The star tracker is on the right side, and the payload fairing halves sit at either side.

More images below.
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No, NASA Is Not Bombing the Moon

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:46:13 +0000

There seems to be a little lunacy making the rounds that NASA is going to "bomb" the Moon on Friday morning, or "hurt the Moon," or "split the Moon in half," or change its orbit. This is all just nonsense and scare-mongering, and those worried about our Moon can rest assured our lunar companion will remain in the sky relatively unchanged after this experiment to search for water ice on the Moon's south pole. Let's take a look at the physics involved and what might happen to the Moon.
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Guide to Seeing the LCROSS Lunar Impact

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:55:34 +0000

LCROSS impact site. Credit: NASA

The LCROSS spacecraft is going to impact the Moon on Friday, October 9, and here's your chance to watch the action, either just for fun, or to contribute to scientific observations. Whether you want to observe with your own equipment or watch the event on television or a webcast, below you'll find all the information and links you should need to be a part of history. Amateur astronomers need a 10-inch or bigger telescope to make observations.
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SMART -1 Updates Image for LCROSS Impact

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:12:56 +0000

Since the LCROSS team reloaded and switched which lunar crater they are targeting for impact with the spacecraft and its upper stage of the Centaur rocket on October 9, the SMART-1 team has reloaded as well, and has released an updated image of the new crater. LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) will search for water ice on the Moon by making two impacts into Cabeus crater at the lunar South Pole. The impacts are scheduled for 11:31:19 UTC and 11:35:45 UTC.
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NASA Tests New Robotic Lander for Future Moon, Asteroid Missions

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:58:28 +0000

The best way to study the new-found water on the Moon would be with in-situ instruments. Since humans won't be making any lunar landings for at least a decade, the next best option is robotic spacecraft. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is developing and testing a new robotic lander to explore not only the Moon, but also asteroids and Mars. This design is definitely next generation: it's bigger than any lander yet and MSFC is currently testing the all-important final of reaching the destination: landing.
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LRO Provides Flashback to 1966

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:04:11 +0000

On June 2, 1966 the Surveyor 1 spacecraft soft landed on the Moon, the first US spacecraft to set down on another body. Now, 43 years later the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera has spotted this historic spacecraft, sitting silently on the Moon's surface. The scene shows the spacecraft (annotated with an arrow, and the shadow shows up very well) just south of a 40 m diameter crater and about 110 m northwest of a 190 m diameter crater lined with boulders. The landing site is in the northeast corner of the Flamsteed Ring, a 100 km diameter impact crater almost completely buried by mare lavas such that all that remains exposed is the upper part of the original crater rim.
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LRO Takes Second, Closer Look at Apollo 11 Landing Site

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:21:57 +0000

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The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera has taken a second look at the Apollo 11 landing site. These images were taken before LRO reached its science orbit of 50 km (31 miles) above the Moon, but the lighting is different from the previous images it took of this region, providing more detail and a whole new look at this historic site. This time the Sun was 28 degrees higher in the sky, making for smaller shadows and bringing out subtle brightness differences on the surface. The look and feel of the site has changed dramatically. See below for a close-up view.
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LCROSS Team Changes Target Crater for Impact

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:40:06 +0000

Based on new analysis of the latest lunar data, the science team for NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission (LCROSS) decided to change the target crater for impact from Cabeus A to Cabeus (proper). The decision was based on a consensus that Cabeus shows, with the greatest level of certainty, the highest hydrogen concentrations at the south pole. The most current terrain models provided by JAXA's Kaguya spacecraft and the LRO Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) was important in the decision process, as the latest models show a small valley in an otherwise tall Cabeus perimeter ridge, which will allow for sunlight to illuminate the ejecta cloud, making it easier to see from Earth.
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Infrared Moonset

Tammy Plotner — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:49:53 +0000

When it comes to the Moon, there are times when I feel like the "Queen of Selene". In just a few short weeks there will be a whole new style of lunar observing book out on the market, and just when I thought I'd heard it all and seen it all… along comes something new! While the header photograph on this article is absolutely spectacular, you're going to go about your day (and night) smiling if you stop to take a look at what's inside… (...)
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SMART-1 Releases Image of LCROSS Impact Site

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:48:28 +0000

ESA's SMART-1 team has released an image of the future impact site of NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS). The SMART-1 team searched through their database to find images of Cabeus A, where LCROSS will search for water ice by making two impacts into this crater at the lunar south pole. The impacts are scheduled for 11:30 and 11:34 am UT on 9 October 2009. This image was taken four years ago by SMART-1, a spacecraft that ended its mission in 2006 by deliberately crashing to the Moon, similar to what LCROSS will do, hoping to exhume materials buried under the lunar surface, particularly water ice. "This is like gathering evidence for a Crash Scene Investigation, but before the action takes place,” said Bernard Foing, SMART-1 project scientist.
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Water on the Moon: What Does it Mean?

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:39:17 +0000

The Moon has been turned upside down. Figuratively, of course. La Luna still orbits and phases as it always has, but we are now looking at the moon anew. From this day forward we know the chemistry of the Moon is different than what we have thought for decades, the geology might vary from what is in textbooks today, and the physics of how the solar wind interacts with a rocky body without an atmosphere has implications not yet fully investigated. So, what does this mean for our future human and robotic exploration of our closest companion in space?
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Yes, There's Water on the Moon

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:10:14 +0000

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Three different spacecraft have confirmed there is water on the Moon. It hasn't been found in deep dark craters or hidden underground. Data indicate that water exists diffusely across the moon as hydroxyl or water molecules — or both — adhering to the surface in low concentrations. Additionally, there may be a water cycle in which the molecules are broken down and reformulated over a two week cycle, which is the length of a lunar day. This does not constitute ice sheets or frozen lakes: the amounts of water in a given location on the Moon aren't much more than what is found in a desert here on Earth. But there's more water on the Moon than originally thought.
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First Science Data from LRO; 'Tantalizing' Hints of Water

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:19:27 +0000

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has successfully completed its testing and calibration phase and is now in its science and mapping orbit of the moon. Already, the spacecraft has made significant progress in creating the most detailed atlas of the moon's south pole, and Thursday mission scientists reported some of the early science results, including "tantalizing" hints of water at the Moon's south pole. So far, the data returned from LRO’s seven instruments “exceed our wildest expectations,” said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center . “We’re looking at the moon now with new eyes.”
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LCROSS Impact Site on Moon Announced: Cabeus A

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:53:06 +0000

On October 9, 2009, at 7:30 a.m. EDT professional and amateur astronomers alike will be focusing their telescopes on the south pole of the Moon, hoping to see a little fireworks. Or more accurately, they are hoping to see ice. NASA will be sending the upper stage of a Centaur rocket to impact a permanently shadowed crater, along with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS which will fly into the plume of dust left by the impact and measure the properties of the dust to look for water ice hidden inside the crater. LCROSS will collide with the lunar surface. Team scientists have been debating what crater would be the optimal location for the impact, and today they made their announcement: Cabeus A.

And just to clarify, the spacecraft will impact the Moon, NOT bomb it. No detonations involved.

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Anticipated Joint Experiment with Chandrayaan-1 and LRO Failed

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:26:30 +0000

A highly anticipated Bi-static radar experiment to look for possible water ice hiding in polar craters on the Moon failed due to the deterioration and eventual loss of the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter. "Everything worked out as best as could be hoped, except for one thing," said Paul Spudis, principal investigator for Chandrayaan-1's radar instrument, Mini-SAR. "It turned out Chandrayaan-1 wasn't pointed at the Moon when we were taking the data, but we didn't know that at the time. So, the Bi-static attempt was a failure." The experiment was attempted on August 20, and one week later the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft failed completely due to overheating. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) admitted they underestimated the amount of heat radiating from the Moon and didn't have enough thermal protection on the spacecraft.
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Oh, the Places You'll Go on the Moon!

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:53:38 +0000

NASA engineers have been putting prototypes of future moon buggies through the paces out at a field test in the Arizona desert lava fields. Here's a video taken on Sept. 6 showing the capabilities of the Chariot B, and it's pretty impressive. The Chariot features 12 wheels driven by two electric motors through a two-speed transmission. It can perform in a "bulldozer" mode with up to 1814 kg (4,000 pounds) of force or cruise at up to 24 kph (15 mph). Or, in this case, it can climb up extremely treacherous terrain. The modular design also means that the steel alloy frame can be fitted with several different crew and payload combinations, including a small pressurized cabin and a sample collector.

For more on the field tests, follow the Desert RATS on Twitter, and see more images of the Chariot and the Lunar Electric Rover (LER) on Flickr.

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LRO Images Apollo 12 Landing Site

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:19:57 +0000

Back in July when the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team released stunning images from several Apollo landing sites, it was not possible at that time to image the Apollo 12 site, the westernmost landing site, due to operational constraints. But now LRO has taken a good look at Oceanus Procellarum and the wait was well worth it. Easily and clearly visible are the Lunar Module descent stage and Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP), along with astronaut tracks, and the Surveyor 3 spacecraft.
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