Category Archives: LRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 October 2015

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Moon South & North Pole Craters Confirmed As ‘Traps’ For Water Ice Deposited By Asteroids

1032015Valery Shuvalov Of Moscow Institute Of Physics & Technology Study Shows Common Asteroids Are Up To 10% H2O & Crystal Lattice Of Minerals Keeps H2O Protected From Heat; 1/3 Of Asteroids Fall On Moon At 14/km/s, 30-40% Remain Intact After Oblique Impact, 60-70% From Vertical Impact; LRO, Chandrayaan & Cassini Missions Providing Data Of Water & Hydroxyl Buried Under Moon Soil; Russia LEND, Mounted On LRO Mapping Flux Of Neutrons To Search For Water Ice In Polar Regions In “Cold Traps”; Presence Of Water Ice Vital For Human Settlement

Credit: NASA, MIPT, LRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 September 2015

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Total Lunar Eclipse To Inspire Astronomy From, On, Of The Moon

9262015Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope On Moon Surface At Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N 19.51°W Will Attempt Observations During 74-Minute Total Lunar Eclipse Beginning 27 September 16:10 HST; Through MoU With NAOC, ILOA Supporting Unique Milky Way / Other Galaxy Imaging Opportunities From Moon Surface; ILOA Working To Establish Observatory At Moon South Pole, Lunar Base Build-Out; LRO Diviner Instrument Will Collect Data From Orbit, Professional & Enthusiast Groups To Observe / Study Eclipse

Credit: NASA, CNSA, NAOC-CAS, CCTV, Higherlearning.com

Friday / 18 September 2015

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Total Lunar Eclipse 27 Sep To Provide Valuable Observation Opportunities

Luar Eclipse Sep 27

Chang’e-3 Lander On Moon Surface To Take Advantage Of LUT / Astronomy From The Moon During Upcoming Total Lunar Eclipse (27 Sep HST) Lasting 1 Hour 14 Mins; Will Be Full Harvest “Blood” Super Moon At Perigee (Distance 356,457km); All LRO Instruments Will Be Turned Off Except Diviner Infrared Radiometer Which Will Map Surface Temperature Changes From Elliptical Polar Orbit (20km S Pole x 165km N Pole); Two ARTEMIS Craft In 100km x 19,000km Orbits, Solar Spacecraft & Earth-Based Observatories Will Also Collect Data

Credit: NASA, LRO, GSFC, CNSA, China News, Ken Kremer, Marco Di Lorenzo

Thursday / 17 September 2015

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LRO Observes Forming Moon Surface Faults

9172015Gravitational Tidal Forces From Earth Influencing Orientation Of Young Fault Scarps Caused By Cooling & Contracting Of Moon’s Interior; LRO Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) Identifying ~3,200 Thrust Fault Scarps Sampled In Areas 40° Longitude By 20° Latitude; Arizona State University & LROC Principal Investigator, Mark Robinson States “Now That We Have NAC Images …Structural Patterns Are Starting To Come Into Focus”

Credit: NASA, Arizona State University, Smithsonian Institution

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28-31 August 2015

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LRO Furthering Technological Advancements For Volatiles Search

8292015LRO Detailed Mapping With Laser Altimetry & Moon South / North Pole Region Assessment Inspires Researchers Including Andreas Velten From University Of Wisconsin-Madison Laboratory For Optical & Computational Instrumentation (LOCI); Velten Developing Technology With Ability To “See Around Corners” On Lunar Surface / In Lunar Caves With Laser Light Pulses To Allow For Water / Other Volatile Discoveries Without Excavation; LRO Will Continue Search For New Impacts & Characterize Radiation Environment, Data Release 23 Expected In September

 

Credit: NASA, University of Wisconsin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 June 2015

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)
Enters Year 7

6262015Mapping Lunar Surface & Collecting Information About Moon Environment, LRO Entering Year 7, Flying In Elliptical Orbit 20km Over South Pole / 165km North Pole, With An Orbital Period Of ~115 Mins; US$19M Highlighted In NASA Budget Request For FY2016 Per The House Of Representatives Commerce Justice Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2578) On 3 June 2015

Credit: NASA

Friday / 12 June 2015

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Lunar Terminator Distilleries May
Provide Water Supply

LRO Moon Terminator

LRO Data Study Conducted By Tim Livengood (Top) & Team From NASA GSFC States Frost Buildup At Lunar Terminator May Be ~1/5 MM Thick Yielding 190 ML Of H2O Per Square Meter Each Lunar Day – Much Less Than Quantities At Lunar Poles But Advanced Technologies Could Produce Continuous Water Supply; Andrew Jordan From Univ Of New Hampshire Says LRO Measurements Could Also Indicate Hydrogen Is Leaking From Local Sources

Image Credit: NASA, Univ of New Hampshire

Thursday / 7 May 2015

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Radiation Environment May Alter Lunar Regolith

UNHcrater0515

Researchers From UNH & NASA Goddard Publish Study Detailing How ‘Sparking’ May Affect Lunar Regolith In Permanently Shadowed Craters; High-Energy Particles From Large Solar Storms Or Cosmic Rays Buildup Electric Charges Faster Than Regolith Can Dissipate Them, Particularly In -240°C Permanently Shadowed Polar Craters, Regolith Then Disintegrates Into Smaller Particles Of Distinct Materials; Researchers Used LRO CRaTER Instrument & Custom Computer Model; Team Will Now Utilize LRO Instruments At New Lower Orbit To Find Evidence For Sparking

Image Credit: NASA, UNH

Wednesday / 6 May 2015

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LRO Taking Closer Look At Moon South Pole

LROsouthPoleorbit0515

Orbit Of NASA Lunar Orbiter Lowered To Within 20km Of Lunar South Pole, Closest The Craft Has Been To Moon; New Orbit Enables Improved  Measurements Of South Pole Areas With Unique Illumination Conditions – Permanently Shadowed Craters (e.g. Cabeus), Peaks Of Eternal Light (e.g. Malapert); LOLA & Diviner Instruments Will Now Produce Better Signal / Higher Resolution Data; Maneuver Indicates Continued Interest In Moon South Pole Exploration Within NASA

Image Credit: NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 10-13 April 2015

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LRO Providing Opportunities For Researchers & Educators

LROEducation0415

US$504-Million LRO Mission, Costing US$12.4M To Operate Annually, Will Achieve 6 Years In Lunar Orbit This Jun; Extension Of Operations Into 2016 Still In Question; Data Set 22 – With Data Collected From Dec 2014 To Mar 2015 – Expected In Jun 2015; Slides From Recent LRO Data Users Workshop Now Available; Registration For Jul 2015 Lunar Workshops For Educators Still Open

Image Credit: NASA