DOCSLIB.ORG

Galactic Observer

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Galactic Observer alactic Observer John J. McCarthy Observatory GVolume 5, No. 9 September 2012 As Curiosity Rover makes its first baby steps for mankind, NASA is already planning for future missions to Mars. Cutting to The InSight lander ("Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat the Core Transport" will employ a German-made internal hammer - or "tractor mole" - to probe the Martian crust and descend up to 16 feet (five meters) below the surface. The mission will attempt to find out why Earth and its half-sister have evolved so differently. For more information, go to http://discovery.nasa.gov/index.cfml Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The John J. McCarthy Observatory Galactic Observvvererer New Milford High School Editorial Committee 388 Danbury Road Managing Editor New Milford, CT 06776 Bill Cloutier Phone/Voice: (860) 210-4117 Production & Design Phone/Fax: (860) 354-1595 Allan Ostergren www.mccarthyobservatory.org Website Development JJMO Staff John Gebauer It is through their efforts that the McCarthy Observatory Marc Polansky has established itself as a significant educational and Josh Reynolds recreational resource within the western Connecticut Technical Support community. Bob Lambert Steve Barone Allan Ostergren Dr. Parker Moreland Colin Campbell Cecilia Page Dennis Cartolano Joe Privitera Mike Chiarella Bruno Ranchy Josh Reynolds Jeff Chodak Route Bill Cloutier Barbara Richards Charles Copple Monty Robson Randy Fender Don Ross John Gebauer Gene Schilling Elaine Green Diana Shervinskie Tina Hartzell Katie Shusdock Tom Heydenburg Jon Wallace Jim Johnstone Bob Willaum Bob Lambert Paul Woodell Parker Moreland, PhD Amy Ziffer In This Issue SILENCED FOOTFALLS ................................................... 3 SUNRISE AND SUNSET .................................................. 13 END OF THE YEAR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM ....................... 4 SUMMER NIGHTS ....................................................... 13 YEAR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM SCORECARD ....................... 5 PRESENT AND FUTURE POLE STARS ............................... 14 OUT THE WINDOW ON YOUR LEFT ................................. 6 ASTRONOMICAL AND HISTORICAL EVENTS ..................... 14 PETAVIUS .................................................................... 8 REFERENCES ON DISTANCES ......................................... 16 A TOOL FOR LUNAR OBSERVERS .................................... 9 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION/IRIDIUM SATELLITES ...... 16 INTERNATIONAL OBSERVE THE MOON NIGHT ................... 9 SOLAR ACTIVITY ........................................................ 16 FIRST QUARTER MOON ............................................... 10 COVER PHOTO AND OTHER CREDITS ............................. 16 TANGO DELTA NOMINAL .............................................. 11 SECOND SATURDAY STARS ........................................... 16 NEW MARS MISSION ANNOUNCED ................................. 11 GRAPHIC CALENDAR .................................................. 18 ON THE (HELIOSHEATH) BUBBLE ................................... 11 RETURN TO THE VAN ALLEN BELTS ............................... 11 YES ANOTHER MOON FOR DWARF PLANET PLUTO ........... 12 HARVEST MOON ......................................................... 12 MORSE CODE ............................................................. 12 AUTUMNAL EQUINOX ................................................... 12 AURORA AND THE EQUINOXES ....................................... 13 2 • Sep 2012 http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org September Calendar and Space Exploration Almanac http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org Sep 2012 • 3 Silenced Footfalls the spacecraft but effectively aborting the mission). Neil A. Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Three years later, Armstrong was at the controls of Moon, passed away at the age of 82 on August 25th. Apollo 11’s lunar lander (“Eagle”) as it set down upon Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio on August 5, 1930, the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong served as a Upon leaving NASA, Armstrong taught at the Uni- naval aviator from 1949 versity of Cincinnati for eight years as a Professor of to 1952, flying 78 com- Aerospace Engineering. Leaving academia, he served bat missions from USS as the chairman of Computing Technologies for Avia- Essex in a Grumman tion, Inc., in Charlottesville, Virginia until 1992. F9F-2 Panther during the Armstrong made a rare public appearance in May Korean War. He joined of 2010 when he testified before the U.S. Senate Com- the National Advisory mittee of Commerce, Science and Transportation on Committee for Aeronau- the absence of vision, consensus and funding of the tics, predecessor of administration’s misguided space plan. “I believe that, NASA, in 1955. Until he so far, our national investment in space exploration, was transferred to astro- and our sharing of the knowledge gained with the rest naut status in 1962, he of the world, has been made wisely and has served us flew dozens of high-performance test and experimen- very well. America is respected for the contributions tal aircraft at NASA’s Flight Research Center at it has made in learning to sail upon this new ocean. If Edwards Air Force Base in California. the leadership we have acquired through our invest- As an astronaut, Armstrong flew the Gemini 8 mis- ment is allowed simply to fade away, other nations sion with David Scott. The Gemini spacecraft rendez- will surely step in where we have faltered. I do not voused with an Agena target vehicle, successfully believe that this would be in our best interests.” executing the first docking of two vehicles in space. Armstrong was the emblematic engineer: “I am, The mission was almost lost (along with the astro- and ever will be, a white socks, pocket-protector nerdy nauts) when a faulty thruster caused the Gemini cap- engineer – born under the law of thermodynamics, sule to spin (up to one revolution per second). steeped in the steam tables, in love with free-flow dy- Armstrong was able to disable the thruster by switch- namics, transformed by Laplace, and propelled by ing to a backup system reserved for re-entry (saving compressible flow.” Orion Rules the Winter Sky Armstrong on the lunar surface , in panorama of landing site taken by Buzz Aldrin (Source: NASA) 4 • Sep 2012 http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org End of the Year of the Solar System NASA announced on Oct. 7, 2010 that the following year would be “The Year of the Solar System.” The “Year,” however, was a Martian year and, as such, 23 months in length. Ending in August, some of the high- lights of the “Year” of exploration were: Date Mission Status 4 Nov 2010 Deep Impact encounters Comet Successful rendezvous, see Hartley 2 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ epoxi/index.html 19 Nov 2010 Launch of O/OREOS, a shoebox- Ground stations receiving data sized satellite designed to test the durability of life in space 19 Nov 2010 Launch of experimental solar sail Mission completed (successfully) (NanoSail-D) 7 Dec 2010 Japan's Akatsuki (Venus Climate Spacecraft fails to enter orbit around Orbiter) spacecraft Venus - now in orbit around the Sun 14 Feb 2011 Stardust NExT encounters Comet Successful rendezvous; see Tempel 1 http://stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov/ 17 Mar 2011 MESSENGER enters orbit around First spacecraft to achieve orbit Mercury around Mercury; see http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/ 18 Mar 2011 New Horizons spacecraft crosses see http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/ the orbit of Uranus 16 Jul 2011 Dawn spacecraft arrives at the Orbit achieved; see asteroid Vesta http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/ 5 Aug 2011 Launch of the Juno spacecraft to Successful launch/deployment; see Jupiter http://missionjuno.swri.edu/ 10 Sept 2011 Launch of twin GRAIL spacecraft Successful launch/deployment; see to map Moon’s gravitational field http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/grail/ 8 Nov 2011 Launch of the Russian Phobos- Successful launch/failure to leave Grunt sample-return mission low-Earth orbit/re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on January 15th 26 Nov 2011 Launch of Mars Science Laboratory Successful launch/deployment; see (MSL) http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ 06 Aug 2012 MSL lands on Mars Successful landing; see http://www.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org Sep 2012 • 5 Year of the Solar System bit and, after several attempts to establish contact with Scorecard the spacecraft were unsuccessful, the spacecraft T WAS A VERY BUSY “YEAR” for planetary crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile exploration. The missions identified in the chart on February 15th. After wild speculation that tried to are generally those with notable milestones (e.g., point blame on outside operatives such as the United launches or encounters). Absent are the remark- States, mission failure was eventually attributed to the Iable discoveries from ongoing missions by spacecraft lack of sufficient ground testing of the flight control such as Cassini at Saturn, the reconnaissance orbiters system and related engineering and management in- at Mars and the Moon, the plethora of spacecraft in- competence. volved in solar observation, exoplanet detection, so- The other mission failure identified in the chart is lar system surveys, and the study of high-energy ob- Japan’s Venus Climate Orbiter (Akatsuki) spacecraft. jects in deep space, in addition to the fleet of scien- The spacecraft was to enter a highly elliptical orbit tific spacecraft studying the Earth. around Venus where it could observe global meteoro- There was only one irreversible failure included in logical phenomena, as well as take close
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Copyrighted Material
    Index Abulfeda crater chain (Moon), 97 Aphrodite Terra (Venus), 142, 143, 144, 145, 146 Acheron Fossae (Mars), 165 Apohele asteroids, 353–354 Achilles asteroids, 351 Apollinaris Patera (Mars), 168 achondrite meteorites, 360 Apollo asteroids, 346, 353, 354, 361, 371 Acidalia Planitia (Mars), 164 Apollo program, 86, 96, 97, 101, 102, 108–109, 110, 361 Adams, John Couch, 298 Apollo 8, 96 Adonis, 371 Apollo 11, 94, 110 Adrastea, 238, 241 Apollo 12, 96, 110 Aegaeon, 263 Apollo 14, 93, 110 Africa, 63, 73, 143 Apollo 15, 100, 103, 104, 110 Akatsuki spacecraft (see Venus Climate Orbiter) Apollo 16, 59, 96, 102, 103, 110 Akna Montes (Venus), 142 Apollo 17, 95, 99, 100, 102, 103, 110 Alabama, 62 Apollodorus crater (Mercury), 127 Alba Patera (Mars), 167 Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), 110 Aldrin, Edwin (Buzz), 94 Apophis, 354, 355 Alexandria, 69 Appalachian mountains (Earth), 74, 270 Alfvén, Hannes, 35 Aqua, 56 Alfvén waves, 35–36, 43, 49 Arabia Terra (Mars), 177, 191, 200 Algeria, 358 arachnoids (see Venus) ALH 84001, 201, 204–205 Archimedes crater (Moon), 93, 106 Allan Hills, 109, 201 Arctic, 62, 67, 84, 186, 229 Allende meteorite, 359, 360 Arden Corona (Miranda), 291 Allen Telescope Array, 409 Arecibo Observatory, 114, 144, 341, 379, 380, 408, 409 Alpha Regio (Venus), 144, 148, 149 Ares Vallis (Mars), 179, 180, 199 Alphonsus crater (Moon), 99, 102 Argentina, 408 Alps (Moon), 93 Argyre Basin (Mars), 161, 162, 163, 166, 186 Amalthea, 236–237, 238, 239, 241 Ariadaeus Rille (Moon), 100, 102 Amazonis Planitia (Mars), 161 COPYRIGHTED
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic Structure of Shallow Maria
    NASA CR. Photo Data Analysis S-221 NASA Contract NAS 9-13196 GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE OF SHALLOW MARIA Rene' A. De Hon, Principal Investigator John A. Waskom, Co-Investigator (NASA-CR-lq7qoo GEOLOGIC STahJCTUnF OF N76-17001 ISBALOW M1BIA-'(Arkansas Uni.v., mHiticelio.) ­ 96 p BC $5.00' CSCL O3B Unclas G3/91, 09970- University of Arkansas at Monticello Monticello, Arkansas December 1975 Photo Data Analysis S-221 NASA Contract NAS 9-13196 GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE OF SHALLOW MARIA Rene' A. De Hon, Principal Investigator I John A. Waskom, Co-Investigator Un-iversity-of Arkansas-:at-.Monticl o Monticello, Arkansas December 1975 ABSTRACT Isopach maps and structural contour maps of the 0 0 eastern mare basins (30 N to 30 OS; 00 to 100 E) are constructed from measurements of partially buried craters. The data, which are sufficiently scattered to yield gross thickness variations, are restricted to shallow maria with less than 1500-2000 m of mare basalts. The average thickness of b-asalt in the irregular maria is between 200 and 400 m. Multiringed mascon basins are filled to various levels. The Serenitatis and Crisium basins have deeply flooded interiors and extensively flooded shelves. Mare basalts in the Nectaris basin fill only the innermost basin, and mare basalts in the Smythii basin occupy a small portion of the basin floor. Sinus Amoris, Mare Spumans, and Mare Undarum are partially filled troughs concentric to large circular basins. The Tranquillitatis and Fecunditatis are composite depressions containing basalts which flood degraded circular basins and adjacent terrain modified by the formation of nearby cir­ cular basins.
    [Show full text]
  • Glossary Glossary
    Glossary Glossary Albedo A measure of an object’s reflectivity. A pure white reflecting surface has an albedo of 1.0 (100%). A pitch-black, nonreflecting surface has an albedo of 0.0. The Moon is a fairly dark object with a combined albedo of 0.07 (reflecting 7% of the sunlight that falls upon it). The albedo range of the lunar maria is between 0.05 and 0.08. The brighter highlands have an albedo range from 0.09 to 0.15. Anorthosite Rocks rich in the mineral feldspar, making up much of the Moon’s bright highland regions. Aperture The diameter of a telescope’s objective lens or primary mirror. Apogee The point in the Moon’s orbit where it is furthest from the Earth. At apogee, the Moon can reach a maximum distance of 406,700 km from the Earth. Apollo The manned lunar program of the United States. Between July 1969 and December 1972, six Apollo missions landed on the Moon, allowing a total of 12 astronauts to explore its surface. Asteroid A minor planet. A large solid body of rock in orbit around the Sun. Banded crater A crater that displays dusky linear tracts on its inner walls and/or floor. 250 Basalt A dark, fine-grained volcanic rock, low in silicon, with a low viscosity. Basaltic material fills many of the Moon’s major basins, especially on the near side. Glossary Basin A very large circular impact structure (usually comprising multiple concentric rings) that usually displays some degree of flooding with lava. The largest and most conspicuous lava- flooded basins on the Moon are found on the near side, and most are filled to their outer edges with mare basalts.
    [Show full text]
  • TRANSIENT LUNAR PHENOMENA: REGULARITY and REALITY Arlin P
    The Astrophysical Journal, 697:1–15, 2009 May 20 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/697/1/1 C 2009. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. TRANSIENT LUNAR PHENOMENA: REGULARITY AND REALITY Arlin P. S. Crotts Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA Received 2007 June 27; accepted 2009 February 20; published 2009 April 30 ABSTRACT Transient lunar phenomena (TLPs) have been reported for centuries, but their nature is largely unsettled, and even their existence as a coherent phenomenon is controversial. Nonetheless, TLP data show regularities in the observations; a key question is whether this structure is imposed by processes tied to the lunar surface, or by terrestrial atmospheric or human observer effects. I interrogate an extensive catalog of TLPs to gauge how human factors determine the distribution of TLP reports. The sample is grouped according to variables which should produce differing results if determining factors involve humans, and not reflecting phenomena tied to the lunar surface. Features dependent on human factors can then be excluded. Regardless of how the sample is split, the results are similar: ∼50% of reports originate from near Aristarchus, ∼16% from Plato, ∼6% from recent, major impacts (Copernicus, Kepler, Tycho, and Aristarchus), plus several at Grimaldi. Mare Crisium produces a robust signal in some cases (however, Crisium is too large for a “feature” as defined). TLP count consistency for these features indicates that ∼80% of these may be real. Some commonly reported sites disappear from the robust averages, including Alphonsus, Ross D, and Gassendi.
    [Show full text]
  • Martian Crater Morphology
    ANALYSIS OF THE DEPTH-DIAMETER RELATIONSHIP OF MARTIAN CRATERS A Capstone Experience Thesis Presented by Jared Howenstine Completion Date: May 2006 Approved By: Professor M. Darby Dyar, Astronomy Professor Christopher Condit, Geology Professor Judith Young, Astronomy Abstract Title: Analysis of the Depth-Diameter Relationship of Martian Craters Author: Jared Howenstine, Astronomy Approved By: Judith Young, Astronomy Approved By: M. Darby Dyar, Astronomy Approved By: Christopher Condit, Geology CE Type: Departmental Honors Project Using a gridded version of maritan topography with the computer program Gridview, this project studied the depth-diameter relationship of martian impact craters. The work encompasses 361 profiles of impacts with diameters larger than 15 kilometers and is a continuation of work that was started at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas under the guidance of Dr. Walter S. Keifer. Using the most ‘pristine,’ or deepest craters in the data a depth-diameter relationship was determined: d = 0.610D 0.327 , where d is the depth of the crater and D is the diameter of the crater, both in kilometers. This relationship can then be used to estimate the theoretical depth of any impact radius, and therefore can be used to estimate the pristine shape of the crater. With a depth-diameter ratio for a particular crater, the measured depth can then be compared to this theoretical value and an estimate of the amount of material within the crater, or fill, can then be calculated. The data includes 140 named impact craters, 3 basins, and 218 other impacts. The named data encompasses all named impact structures of greater than 100 kilometers in diameter.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Catalogue Milestones of Lunar Mapping and Photography Four Centuries of Selenography on the Occasion of the 50Th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing
    Special Catalogue Milestones of Lunar Mapping and Photography Four Centuries of Selenography On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing Please note: A specific item in this catalogue may be sold or is on hold if the provided link to our online inventory (by clicking on the blue-highlighted author name) doesn't work! Milestones of Science Books phone +49 (0) 177 – 2 41 0006 www.milestone-books.de [email protected] Member of ILAB and VDA Catalogue 07-2019 Copyright © 2019 Milestones of Science Books. All rights reserved Page 2 of 71 Authors in Chronological Order Author Year No. Author Year No. BIRT, William 1869 7 SCHEINER, Christoph 1614 72 PROCTOR, Richard 1873 66 WILKINS, John 1640 87 NASMYTH, James 1874 58, 59, 60, 61 SCHYRLEUS DE RHEITA, Anton 1645 77 NEISON, Edmund 1876 62, 63 HEVELIUS, Johannes 1647 29 LOHRMANN, Wilhelm 1878 42, 43, 44 RICCIOLI, Giambattista 1651 67 SCHMIDT, Johann 1878 75 GALILEI, Galileo 1653 22 WEINEK, Ladislaus 1885 84 KIRCHER, Athanasius 1660 31 PRINZ, Wilhelm 1894 65 CHERUBIN D'ORLEANS, Capuchin 1671 8 ELGER, Thomas Gwyn 1895 15 EIMMART, Georg Christoph 1696 14 FAUTH, Philipp 1895 17 KEILL, John 1718 30 KRIEGER, Johann 1898 33 BIANCHINI, Francesco 1728 6 LOEWY, Maurice 1899 39, 40 DOPPELMAYR, Johann Gabriel 1730 11 FRANZ, Julius Heinrich 1901 21 MAUPERTUIS, Pierre Louis 1741 50 PICKERING, William 1904 64 WOLFF, Christian von 1747 88 FAUTH, Philipp 1907 18 CLAIRAUT, Alexis-Claude 1765 9 GOODACRE, Walter 1910 23 MAYER, Johann Tobias 1770 51 KRIEGER, Johann 1912 34 SAVOY, Gaspare 1770 71 LE MORVAN, Charles 1914 37 EULER, Leonhard 1772 16 WEGENER, Alfred 1921 83 MAYER, Johann Tobias 1775 52 GOODACRE, Walter 1931 24 SCHRÖTER, Johann Hieronymus 1791 76 FAUTH, Philipp 1932 19 GRUITHUISEN, Franz von Paula 1825 25 WILKINS, Hugh Percy 1937 86 LOHRMANN, Wilhelm Gotthelf 1824 41 USSR ACADEMY 1959 1 BEER, Wilhelm 1834 4 ARTHUR, David 1960 3 BEER, Wilhelm 1837 5 HACKMAN, Robert 1960 27 MÄDLER, Johann Heinrich 1837 49 KUIPER Gerard P.
    [Show full text]
  • Sky and Telescope
    SkyandTelescope.com The Lunar 100 By Charles A. Wood Just about every telescope user is familiar with French comet hunter Charles Messier's catalog of fuzzy objects. Messier's 18th-century listing of 109 galaxies, clusters, and nebulae contains some of the largest, brightest, and most visually interesting deep-sky treasures visible from the Northern Hemisphere. Little wonder that observing all the M objects is regarded as a virtual rite of passage for amateur astronomers. But the night sky offers an object that is larger, brighter, and more visually captivating than anything on Messier's list: the Moon. Yet many backyard astronomers never go beyond the astro-tourist stage to acquire the knowledge and understanding necessary to really appreciate what they're looking at, and how magnificent and amazing it truly is. Perhaps this is because after they identify a few of the Moon's most conspicuous features, many amateurs don't know where Many Lunar 100 selections are plainly visible in this image of the full Moon, while others require to look next. a more detailed view, different illumination, or favorable libration. North is up. S&T: Gary The Lunar 100 list is an attempt to provide Moon lovers with Seronik something akin to what deep-sky observers enjoy with the Messier catalog: a selection of telescopic sights to ignite interest and enhance understanding. Presented here is a selection of the Moon's 100 most interesting regions, craters, basins, mountains, rilles, and domes. I challenge observers to find and observe them all and, more important, to consider what each feature tells us about lunar and Earth history.
    [Show full text]
  • March 21–25, 2016
    FORTY-SEVENTH LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE CONFERENCE PROGRAM OF TECHNICAL SESSIONS MARCH 21–25, 2016 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center The Woodlands, Texas INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT Universities Space Research Association Lunar and Planetary Institute National Aeronautics and Space Administration CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS Stephen Mackwell, Lunar and Planetary Institute Eileen Stansbery, NASA Johnson Space Center PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIRS David Draper, NASA Johnson Space Center Walter Kiefer, Lunar and Planetary Institute PROGRAM COMMITTEE P. Doug Archer, NASA Johnson Space Center Nicolas LeCorvec, Lunar and Planetary Institute Katherine Bermingham, University of Maryland Yo Matsubara, Smithsonian Institute Janice Bishop, SETI and NASA Ames Research Center Francis McCubbin, NASA Johnson Space Center Jeremy Boyce, University of California, Los Angeles Andrew Needham, Carnegie Institution of Washington Lisa Danielson, NASA Johnson Space Center Lan-Anh Nguyen, NASA Johnson Space Center Deepak Dhingra, University of Idaho Paul Niles, NASA Johnson Space Center Stephen Elardo, Carnegie Institution of Washington Dorothy Oehler, NASA Johnson Space Center Marc Fries, NASA Johnson Space Center D. Alex Patthoff, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Cyrena Goodrich, Lunar and Planetary Institute Elizabeth Rampe, Aerodyne Industries, Jacobs JETS at John Gruener, NASA Johnson Space Center NASA Johnson Space Center Justin Hagerty, U.S. Geological Survey Carol Raymond, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Lindsay Hays, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Paul Schenk,
    [Show full text]
  • DMAAC – February 1973
    LUNAR TOPOGRAPHIC ORTHOPHOTOMAP (LTO) AND LUNAR ORTHOPHOTMAP (LO) SERIES (Published by DMATC) Lunar Topographic Orthophotmaps and Lunar Orthophotomaps Scale: 1:250,000 Projection: Transverse Mercator Sheet Size: 25.5”x 26.5” The Lunar Topographic Orthophotmaps and Lunar Orthophotomaps Series are the first comprehensive and continuous mapping to be accomplished from Apollo Mission 15-17 mapping photographs. This series is also the first major effort to apply recent advances in orthophotography to lunar mapping. Presently developed maps of this series were designed to support initial lunar scientific investigations primarily employing results of Apollo Mission 15-17 data. Individual maps of this series cover 4 degrees of lunar latitude and 5 degrees of lunar longitude consisting of 1/16 of the area of a 1:1,000,000 scale Lunar Astronautical Chart (LAC) (Section 4.2.1). Their apha-numeric identification (example – LTO38B1) consists of the designator LTO for topographic orthophoto editions or LO for orthophoto editions followed by the LAC number in which they fall, followed by an A, B, C or D designator defining the pertinent LAC quadrant and a 1, 2, 3, or 4 designator defining the specific sub-quadrant actually covered. The following designation (250) identifies the sheets as being at 1:250,000 scale. The LTO editions display 100-meter contours, 50-meter supplemental contours and spot elevations in a red overprint to the base, which is lithographed in black and white. LO editions are identical except that all relief information is omitted and selenographic graticule is restricted to border ticks, presenting an umencumbered view of lunar features imaged by the photographic base.
    [Show full text]
  • The Moon After Apollo
    ICARUS 25, 495-537 (1975) The Moon after Apollo PAROUK EL-BAZ National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.G- 20560 Received September 17, 1974 The Apollo missions have gradually increased our knowledge of the Moon's chemistry, age, and mode of formation of its surface features and materials. Apollo 11 and 12 landings proved that mare materials are volcanic rocks that were derived from deep-seated basaltic melts about 3.7 and 3.2 billion years ago, respec- tively. Later missions provided additional information on lunar mare basalts as well as the older, anorthositic, highland rocks. Data on the chemical make-up of returned samples were extended to larger areas of the Moon by orbiting geo- chemical experiments. These have also mapped inhomogeneities in lunar surface chemistry, including radioactive anomalies on both the near and far sides. Lunar samples and photographs indicate that the moon is a well-preserved museum of ancient impact scars. The crust of the Moon, which was formed about 4.6 billion years ago, was subjected to intensive metamorphism by large impacts. Although bombardment continues to the present day, the rate and size of impact- ing bodies were much greater in the first 0.7 billion years of the Moon's history. The last of the large, circular, multiringed basins occurred about 3.9 billion years ago. These basins, many of which show positive gravity anomalies (mascons), were flooded by volcanic basalts during a period of at least 600 million years. In addition to filling the circular basins, more so on the near side than on the far side, the basalts also covered lowlands and circum-basin troughs.
    [Show full text]
  • Proposed Miscellaneous Rule Revisions
    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY MAINE LAND USE PLANNING COMMISSION PROPOSED MISCELLANEOUS RULE REVISIONS Comment Draft The following revisions propose amendments to Chapter 10, land Use Subdistricts and Standards for areas within the Jurisdiction of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission. This document only includes relevant sections of Chapter 10, indicates additions in underline, deletions as strikethroughs, and relocations as double underline and double strikethroughs. Generally, these revisions include the following data corrections for one or more listings: ‐ Lake identification numbers; ‐ Resource ratings, resource class, land use designations, or management classification; ‐ Alphabetical order; ‐ Columnar data shifts; ‐ Minor civil division and lake name changes; and ‐ Improve legibility by changing font and adding border; and ‐ Add a footnote for lakes with more than one management class ALPHABETICAL LIST OF LAKES SHOWING WILDLANDS LAKE ASSESSMENT FINDINGS IF&W SIZE RESOURCE RATINGS RESOURCE LAND USE MGNT PRINCIPAL LAKE NAME LAKE # TOWN NAME REG (AC) FSH WLD SC SH BOT CLT PHY CLASS ACCESS DEV CLASS ABBIE P 3360 BOWMANTOWN TWP D 12 S 2 AC DEV ABOL DEADWATER 2058 T02 R10 WELS F 150 O S S 1B AC UNDEV ACKLEY P 2200 MOUNT CHASE F 19 S 2 AC UNDEV ALDER L 1778 T11 R04 WELS G 160 3 AC UNDEV ALDER P 0120 T03 R05 BKP WKR D 108 3 INAC UNDEV ALDER P 2504 ALDER BROOK TWP E 37 S S S 2 AC UNDEV ALLAGASH L 9787 T08 R14 WELS E 4260 O O O O S O 1A AC UNDEV 2 ALLAGASH P 2970 T09 R15 WELS G 89 S S 2 AC UNDEV ALLEN P 4516 T35
    [Show full text]
  • Asymmetric Terracing of Lunar Highland Craters: Influence of Pre-Impact Topography and Structure
    Proc. L~lnorPli~nel. Sci. Corrf. /Of11 (1979), p. 2597-2607 Printed in the United States of America Asymmetric terracing of lunar highland craters: Influence of pre-impact topography and structure Ann W. Gifford and Ted A. Maxwell Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institition, Washington, DC 20560 Abstract-The effects of variable pre-impact topography and substrate on slumping and terrace for- mation have been studied on a group of 30 craters in the lunar highlands. These craters are charac- terized by a distinct upper slump block and are all situated on the rim of a larger, older crater or a degraded rim segment. Wide, isolated terraces occur where the rim of the younger crater coincides with a rim segment of the older crater. The craters are all located in Nectarianlpre-Nectarian highland units, and range in age from Imbrian to Copernican. A proposed model for formation of slump blocks in these craters includes the existence of layers with different competence in an overturned rim of the pre-existing crater. Such layering could have resulted from overturning of more coherent layers during formation of the Nectarian and pre-Nec- tarian craters. A combination of material and topographic effects is therefore responsible for terrace formation. Similar terrain effects may be present on other planets and should be considered when interpreting crater statistics in relation to morphology. INTRODUCTION Slumping, terracing or wall failure is an important process in formation and mod- ification of lunar craters. The process of slumping has been investigated by both geometrical (Cintala et a1 ., 1977) and theoretical models (Melosh, 1977; Melosh and McKinnon, 1979); however, these studies are dependent on morphologic constraints imposed by the geologic setting of the craters.
    [Show full text]