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The moon's south pole: Very high resolution, radar images find rocks abundant, but no ice sheets
October 19, 2006ITHACA, N.Y. - Using the highest resolution radar-signal images ever made of the moon - images from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Arecibo Telescope in Arecibo, P.R., and the NSF's Robert C. Byrd Telescope in Green Bank, W.Va. - planetary astronomers have found no evidence for ice in craters at the lunar south pole. Cornell University, Smithsonian Institution and Australian scientists report the findings in the latest Nature (Oct. 19, 2006).
"These new results do not preclude ice being present as small grains in the lunar soil based on the Lunar Prospector's discovery of enhanced hydrogen concentrations at the lunar poles," said Donald Campbell, Cornell professor of astronomy and a principal investigator. "There is always the possibility that concentrated deposits exist in a few of the shadowed locations not visible to radars on Earth, but any current planning for landers or bases at the lunar poles should not count on this."
Echoes from radar signals transmitted to the moon from the giant Arecibo telescope were received at the Green Bank telescope. These echoes allowed scientists from Cornell, the Smithsonian Institution and the Defence Science and Technology Organization in Australia to create images, offering the best view ever of the shadowed terrain at the lunar south pole.
Since the 1960s, theories have suggested that ice may exist deep inside impact craters in permanent shadow from the sun, where temperatures on the moon's surface do not exceed minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit (or minus 173 Centigrade), at the poles. The theory was bolstered in 1992 when Earth-based radar telescopes located "ice deposits" inside impact craters at the poles of the planet Mercury.
The Lunar Prospector orbiter discovered concentrations of hydrogen at the moon's poles. If this hydrogen were in the form of water molecules - still a subject of debate-then it would correspond to an average of 1 to 2 percent of water ice in the lunar soil in the shadowed terrain.
However, Earth-based radar measurements since the 1990s have consistently failed to detect ice deposits similar to those on Mercury. Since water ice would be a significant resource for any future lunar base, many of the instruments on NASA's 2008 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission seek to learn if water ice is present in permanently shadowed craters.
Even in the lunar summer at the south pole, the sun barely edges above the horizon, thus the bottom impact craters never see the sun. Because of the tilt of the moon's orbital plane relative to the Earth's equatorial plane, the Earth can rise much higher above the horizon at the lunar south pole than the sun, so telescopes on the Earth can "see" some of the shadowed area. However, since that area is permanently in shadow, only radar can image that terrain.
Cornell University News Service
Since the 1960s, theories have suggested that ice may exist deep inside impact craters in permanent shadow from the sun, where temperatures on the moon's surface do not exceed minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit (or minus 173 Centigrade), at the poles. The theory was bolstered in 1992 when Earth-based radar telescopes located "ice deposits" inside impact craters at the poles of the planet Mercury.
The Lunar Prospector orbiter discovered concentrations of hydrogen at the moon's poles. If this hydrogen were in the form of water molecules - still a subject of debate-then it would correspond to an average of 1 to 2 percent of water ice in the lunar soil in the shadowed terrain.
However, Earth-based radar measurements since the 1990s have consistently failed to detect ice deposits similar to those on Mercury. Since water ice would be a significant resource for any future lunar base, many of the instruments on NASA's 2008 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission seek to learn if water ice is present in permanently shadowed craters.
Even in the lunar summer at the south pole, the sun barely edges above the horizon, thus the bottom impact craters never see the sun. Because of the tilt of the moon's orbital plane relative to the Earth's equatorial plane, the Earth can rise much higher above the horizon at the lunar south pole than the sun, so telescopes on the Earth can "see" some of the shadowed area. However, since that area is permanently in shadow, only radar can image that terrain.
Cornell University News Service
Lunar Current Events and Lunar News RSSHow the Moon produces its own water
The Moon is a big sponge that absorbs electrically charged particles given out by the Sun. These particles interact with the oxygen present in some dust grains on the lunar surface, producing water.
NASA Goddard visualization team previews lunar impact
At 7:30 a.m. EDT on October 9, a two-ton rocket body will slam into a crater near the moon's south pole. By studying the resulting plume of gas and dust, scientists hope this grand experiment will confirm the presence of ice in permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles.
Deep Impact and Other Spacecraft Find Clear Evidence of Water on Moon
New data from the Deep Impact spacecraft and the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), an instrument aboard India's recently ended Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, provide, for the first time, clear evidence that water exists on the surface of the Moon.
NASA Goddard Shoots the Moon to Track LRO
On certain nights, an arresting green line pierces the sky above NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. It's a laser directed at the moon, visible when the air is humid. No, we're not repelling an invasion. Instead, we're tracking our own spacecraft.
Key process for space outpost proved on 'vomit comet' ride
Flying high over the Gulf of Mexico, researchers from NASA and Case Western Reserve University found a key to unlocking oxygen from the surface of the moon.
Lotus Plant-Inspired Dust-Busting Shield to Protect Space Gear
A plant that lives along muddy waterways in Asia has inspired a NASA team to develop a special coating to prevent dirt and even bacteria from sticking to and contaminating the surfaces of spaceflight gear.
Brown Scientists Announce Finding of Water on the Moon
Brown University scientists have made a major discovery: The moon has distinct signatures of water. The discovery came from a paper published in Science detailing findings from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), a NASA instrument aboard the Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-1. Carle Pieters, professor of geological sciences at Brown, is the principal investigator of the M3 instrument and the lead author of the Science paper.
New research shows water present across the moon's surface
It turns out the moon is a lot wetter than we ever thought. When Apollo astronauts returned from the moon 40 years ago, they brought back souvenirs in the form of moon rocks to be used for scientific analysis, and one of the chief questions was whether there was water to be found in the lunar rocks and soils.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's LAMP shedding light on permanently shadowed regions of the Moon
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), launched on June 18 of this year, has begun its extensive exploration of the lunar environment and will return more data about the Moon than any previous mission.
Space-related radiation research could help reduce fractures in cancer survivors
A research project looking for ways to reduce bone loss in astronauts may yield methods of improving the bone health of cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.
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Lunar Silver Star Story Complete by Sony Computer Entertainment The standard 2 Disc Game Version by Working Designs, not the complete Box Set. Return to the world of LUNAR, in the completely reworked 32-bit version of the RPG classic. Journey back to a place where dragons yet live, and magic is valued above all else. Join Alex, the young adventurer, as he begins a quest with his friends to save their land from the crushing advance of the Magic Emperor. Explore dungeons, fight terrifying monsters, and gather information from the locals as you advance toward the explosive confrontation with the Magic Emperor himself! Exciting, menu-driven combat will keep you challenged until the last. |
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LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue by Working Designs Lunar 2: Eternal Blue is old-school role-playing goodness at its very best. From the story to the simple battle system, it doesn't bore players with the details that can make newer role-playing games unbearable. No, Lunar 2 won't impress anyone with its likewise old-school graphics, but that's not the point. This game is fun. The story in Lunar 2 doesn't take itself as seriously as other role-playing games, which contributes to the fun. The game's hero, Hiro, and his sidekick Ruby must help a young girl locate the goddess Althena. The quest turns out to be long, spanning three disks, most of which hold full-motion video cutscenes. The video sequences in Lunar 2 are probably the best part. They mix Japanese anime with computer graphics and are completely stunning. The in-game... |
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Lunar: Dragon Song by UBI Soft Experience the next installment of the Lunar SAGA on the Nintendo DS. Discover the events prior to Lunar Silver Star Story in an epic prequel storyline, involving all new characters in the Lunar universe. With new main characters, a new Battle Card system and new weapons and items, players must battle the forces of evil by transforming Dark enemy creatures into beings of Light. |
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Lunar: Silver Star Story by Working Designs |
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Lunar Silver Star Story Complete Official Strategy Guide b |
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Lunar Legend by UBI Soft Continuing the time-honored tradition of repackaging old console games, the Lunar RPG series has come to the GBA with Lunar Legend. You play Alex, a young boy who hopes to one day be a Dragonmaster like his dearly departed hero Dyne. One day, a wizard named Nash comes into town, and needs an escort to a nearby shrine in the woods. You, your childhood friend Luna, and your flying cat-like pet Nall accompany Nash to the shrine, and your adventure begins. Lunar Legend is an indirect port of a 10-year-old Sega CD game. The locations and characters are the same, but the dialog has been significantly shrunk to fit on the cartridge. This is a minus for true Lunar fans, since much of the story is lost. However, even with "Lunar Lite," you get a very satisfying game. The game play... |
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White Lunar Warren Ellis (Composer), Nick Cave (Composer) 2009 two CD collection of soundtrack recordings. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have been playing together for more than 15 years, with The Bad Seeds, Grinderman and The Dirty Three. More recently, they've been collaborating on soundtracks for films such as The Proposition (2005) and The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007) as well as Gisli orn Gardarsson's acrobatic theatrical productions of Woyzeck (2005) and Metamorphosis (2006). White Lunar is a selection of pieces taken from some of the motion pictures and documentaries for which Cave and Ellis have composed and recorded music. Includes music from the motion picture The Road based on the book by Cormac MacCarthy (No Country For Old Men) and starring Viggo Mortensen. 17 tracks. Mute Records. |
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Lunar Knights: Vampire Hunters by Konami Lunar Knights allows you to descend into the gothic world of vampire hunters. Take control of two adventurers on a quest to rid their world of evil. One hero is guided by the moon and uses swords to dispatch his opponents, while the other is powered by the sun and takes on the forces of evil using his firearms. Together they must explore their land, improve their skills, solve puzzles, and uncover the mystery of the dark force that opposes them. |
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Lunar: Silver Star Story by Working Designs |
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Lunar II: Eternal Blue for Sega CD by Game Arts Come back to the enchanting world of LUNAR! Join Hiro and Ruby 1,000 years after the conclusion of the first adventure, as they work to unlock the secrets of the Blue Spire and the strange young girl they found within it! But be careful! Forces are at work trying to revive the evil Zophar and immerse Lunar is darkness forever! Journey to distant lands in search of the Goddess Althena, who may be the only one powerful enough to stop Zophar. Along the way, you'll meet exciting new characters, fight fully animated monsters, traverse snow-covered mountain peaks, and crawl through slimy dungeon depths as you work torward the terrifying climax! And, thanks to the tremendous storage power of CD, LUNAR contains over 50 minutes of awesome cartoon-quality animation sequences and over one and a half... |
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