April 14, 2009

Beginning To See the Unseen

image from NASA Mini-RF

Soon we will be able to see all the secret places on the Moon. NASA's Mini-SAR radar on the Indian orbiter Chandrayaan-1 is systematically imaging both poles,
peering into craters whose floors have been shrouded in shadows for a billion years or more. This early mosaic assembled from strips of data collected through
March 2009 will ultimately be filled in and seamlessly mosaicked, shining lights (actually radio frequency energy) into all the Moon's dark polar holes. As well as
illuminating the floors the bounced back radar beams can be processed to detect water ice if it occurs in the upper meters of the floors of the permanently
shadowed craters, revealing if they will be oases in the hyper-desert of the Moon. The area shown is largely within the 80°N cap of the Moon; I have added names
for orientation. Because the Moon is imaged by detecting radar energy bounced off the surface, the Mini-RF team selected a high illumination angle to minimize
shadowing, yielding a Full Moon appearance.

Chuck Wood

Related Links
Rükl plate 4
PI Paul Spudis's progress report of Mini-RF.
A recent terrestrial view.

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