One Moon, many measurements 1: Radiance values

• Published in: Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) N.Y. 1962), 2013-09, Vol.226 (1), p.951-963
• Main Authors: Pieters, C.M., Boardman, J.W., Ohtake, M., Matsunaga, T., Haruyama, J., Green, R.O., Mall, U., Staid, M.I., Isaacson, P.J., Yokota, Y., Yamamoto, S., Besse, S., Sunshine, J.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fine structure; Illumination; Indian spacecraft; Moon; Orbitals; Radiance; Regoliths; Reproduction; Selene (Japanese spacecraft); Spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0019-1035; 1090-2643
• DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2013.07.008

•Cross-calibration/validation succeeded for instruments on Kaguya and Chandrayaan-1.•Radiance values agree overall across spectral properties, but some differences exist.•Regolith values measured remotely are lower than that predicted from returned samples. Several modern optical instruments orbited the Moon during 2008 and 2009 onboard the SELENE and Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft and provided a welcomed feast of spectroscopic data to be used for scientific analyses. The different spatial and spectral resolutions of these sensors along with diverse illumination geometry during data acquisition make each set of data unique, and each instrument contributes special value to integrated science analyses. In order to provide the maximum science benefit, we have undertaken a careful cross-validation of radiance data among these orbital instruments and also a set of systematic data acquired using Earth-based telescopes. Most radiance values at 750nm fall between 0 and 100W/(m2μmsr), but a small important fraction can be up to ×2 to ×3 that value, with the largest values occurring at the highest spatial resolution. All instruments are in agreement about overall spectral properties of lunar materials, but small systematic differences are documented between instruments. Lunar radiance values measured with remote sensors for landing sites are all not as high as that estimated from laboratory measurements of returned soil. This is largely because laboratory measurements of lunar soils cannot retain or duplicate the fine structure of lunar regolith found in the natural space environment.