Photometric studies of light scattering above the lunar terminator from Apollo solar corona photography

Details Photometric studies of light scattering above the lunar terminator from Apollo solar corona photography Photometric studies of light scattering above the lunar terminator from Apollo solar corona photography

Apr 1976

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1976lpsc....7.1087m&link_type=abstract

In: Lunar Science Conference, 7th, Houston, Tex., March 15-19, 1976, Proceedings. Volume 1. (A77-34651 15-91) New York, Pergamon

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

13

Apollo Flights, Astronomical Photometry, Light Scattering, Solar Corona, Spaceborne Photography, Terminator Lines, Electrostatics, Forward Scattering, Lunar Dust, Zodiacal Light

Scientific paper

Excess brightness is found in 70-mm photographs of the solar corona above the lunar terminator during Apollo 15 and 17. Maximum brightness of this scattered light is determined from calibration of image density. The observed excess brightness displays circular symmetry above the lunar-horizon subsolar point, characteristic of forward diffraction scattering from micron or submicron size (solid) grains, and decays rapidly in intensity with altitude and distance from the lunar terminator. The observed brightness cannot be accounted for by a co-orbiting cloud of spacecraft contaminants, but requires a variable lunar dust 'atmosphere' over the terminator regions extending to altitudes in excess of 100 km. To maintain such large masses of lunar fines above the terminator requires either local mass-churning rates in excess of 2 by 10 to the -11th power g/sq cm sec or the assumption of some degree of high-altitude electrostatic suspension to increase the dwell time of individual grains at the altitudes observed. Such a model would reduce mass-churning rates while causing selective erosion/deposition and potential for escape of significant mass from the moon

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