Thanks to India, U.S.: The 3D Moon

William Atkins
Tuesday, 30 December 2008 18:06

Science - Space

The M3 will map the entire lunar surface, from its position 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the Moon, with a spatial (physical space) sampling of 140 meters (and spatial resolution of 70 meters) and a spectral (light frequencies) sampling of 40 nautical miles (and spectral resolution of 10 nautical miles).

Such imaging will expose such features as large craters, varied volcanic terrain, various types of rocks, and numerous altitude differences.

Of importance is the fact that features never before seen in such clarity, detail, and uniformity is now possible to be studied by scientists back on Earth.

For more information on the MMM, please go to NASA Moon Mineralogy Mapper.

The first 3D images sent back to Earth were of the Orientale Basin region (also called the Mare Orientale), which is located on the western edge of the nearside portion of the Moon (on the border to the front and back side of the Moon, with respect to the Earth).

The three dimensions imaged by M3 are length, width, and color. The third dimension of color is actually the ability to see different reflected colors based on twenty-eight different wavelengths of light (electromagnetic radiation).

The M3 instrument is helping scientists on Earth learn more about the origin, evolution, and composition of the Moon.

The European Space Agency (ESA), also a participant in the lunar-orbiter mission Chandrayaan-1, contains additional information on the spacecraft’s high-resolution remote sensing mission above the lunar surface.

The spacecraft has the ability to image the Moon in the electromagnetic regions of visible, near infrared, x-ray, and low-energy gamma ray radiation.