July 17, 2013

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One More Medal

LPOD-Ju17-13.jpg
Bill Hartmann, wearing his Shoemaker Medal, participates in the LSF; image from Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Arizona

Today the the Lunar Science Forum (LSF) started, for the first time as a virtual meeting with speakers and audience participating from their homes or offices. In case you missed the talks or they were the wrong time zones for you they are online, as are the full posters. The highlight of the day was the announcement of Bill Hartmann as the recipient of the 2013 Shoemaker Medal given at the LSF. Bill joins an illustrious list of leading lunar scientists starting with Gene Shoemaker himself, and then his colleague Don WIlhelms, whose lifetimes of work are celebrated by this award. Bill has now won more awards than an Olympic champion athlete, and justifiably so. He has investigated impact cratering more exhaustively than almost anyone else. In his talk today Bill described how his recognition of the megaregolith 30 years ago relates to the controversy of the existence of the late heavy bombardment. Perhaps the deep churning during the first 500 million years destroyed the impact melts and other evidence of early basins. Bill continues to doubt that there was an LHB, and with his history of being right he may be right again.

Chuck Wood

Related Links
Bill's painting website

Yesterday's LPOD: Backside Plateau Slide

Tomorrow's LPOD: Experts Are Standing by To Explain the Moon To You



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