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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • Moon
  • illumination
  • pole

Index Terms

  • Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Moon
  • Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Polar regions
  • Geodesy and Gravity: Lunar and planetary geodesy and gravity

Abstract

Illumination conditions at the lunar polar regions by KAGUYA(SELENE) laser altimeter

H. Noda

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Japan

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

H. Araki

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Japan

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

S. Goossens

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

Y. Ishihara

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

K. Matsumoto

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

S. Tazawa

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

N. Kawano

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

S. Sasaki

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Oshu, Japan

The sunlit conditions of the lunar polar regions were estimated by using a digital elevation model made by the laser altimeter data onboard the Japanese lunar orbiter KAGUYA (SELENE). The result shows that i) there are no peaks of eternal light in either north or south polar regions, ii) most continuously lit surfaces are 89% for north and 86% for south, iii) there are permanently shadowed regions. These information will be useful for the long-durable landing experiments on the Moon and possibly for the human activity on the Moon in the near future.

Received 13 August 2008; accepted 30 October 2008; published 30 December 2008.

Citation: Noda, H., H. Araki, S. Goossens, Y. Ishihara, K. Matsumoto, S. Tazawa, N. Kawano, and S. Sasaki (2008), Illumination conditions at the lunar polar regions by KAGUYA(SELENE) laser altimeter, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L24203, doi:10.1029/2008GL035692.

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