Image Credit: NASA, LPI
Conflicting Data, Heated Debate Leave Lunar Science Community Befuddled At Recent 43rd LPI Conference; Data From LRO LEND Instrument Shows Locations Of High Hydrogen Do Not Correlate With Dark Polar Cold Traps; Data Contradicts Theory On Nature Of Hydrogen / Water At Lunar Poles From Previous LRO, Lunar Prospector Data; Hydrogen-Rich Areas Will Likely Be Targeted For Future Exploration, Utilization
Image Credit: NASA
2 4-Camera Color Video Systems Of GRAIL MoonKAM Begin Generating Video Views Of Moon Surface From Low Lunar Orbit; Thousands Of Students Have Opportunity To Capture Video / Images, Study Lunar Features & Learn About Past / Future Landing Sites; LRO Recently Provided Clearest View Yet Of Famous Apollo 11 Landing Site; Image (R) Snapped From 24-Km Altitude Displays Footprints, Lunar Module, Seismic Experiment, Lunar Ranging Reflector
Image Credit: NASA, bu.edu
LRO Reaches 1000 Days In Orbit & NASA Releases 2 New LRO Videos Providing Tour Of Interesting Locations On Moon, Evolutionary History; Lead Scientist Harlan Spence (L), UNH Researchers Use LRO CRaTER Instrument To Quantify Levels Of Radiation On Lunar Surface From GCR Bombardment That Can Create Complex Carbon Chains From Water Ice, Process Also Causes Regolith To Darken Over Time
Image Credit: NASA
Twin GRAIL Probes ‘Ebb & Flow’ Begin Science Mission, Will Spend Next 3 Months Orbiting 56km Above Lunar Surface While Scientists Monitor Slight Variations In Distance To Map Gravitational Field; US$496M Mission May Support Or Debunk Various Theories Of Moon Origin; New Goddard Visualization Studio Applet Uses LRO Images To Show Phase & Libration Of Moon For Every Hour Of 2012
Image Credit: NASA, ASU
LRO Data Reveals Evidence Of Recent Seismic Activity On Moon; Graben (Small Ravines) Up To 500m Wide, 1.8km Long, Free Of Cratering – Formed Within Last 50M Years, Postdating Last Major Tectonic Activity (1.2B Years Ago); Recent Graben Formation Also Incompatible With Theory That Early Moon Had Fully Molten Interior; Further Data From LRO, GRAIL Will Shed More Light On These Mysteries
Image Credit: NASA
Recent Coronal Mass Ejections (TL) Were Most Significant Radiation Events During LRO 2.5-Year Mission, CRaTER Instrument On LRO (C) Characterizing Global Lunar Radiation Environment By Measuring Galactic / Solar Radiation From Behind ‘Human Tissue-Equivalent’ Plastic; GRAIL Sends Its 1st Video From Lunar Orbit, Ebb Captures 30-Second Video Of Lunar Far Side While Traveling North-South