Albedo variations on the surface of mercury

Photoelectric photometric (slit) scans of Mercury have been obtained and combined with a man of the surface markings to yield relative normal albedoes over about one quarter of the planet's total surface at a wavelength of 0·45 microns. Maximum albedo ratios at a resolution of one fifth of the planetary diameter are not less than 2 to 1 and probably near 2·5 to 1. The corresponding average lunar value is 2·3 to 1. The blurring effects of seeing conditions on previous visual estimates of Mercury's albedo ratios are briefly discussed.     

Comparison of lunar ultraviolet reflectivity with that of terrestrial rock samples

The ultraviolet and visible albedos of a number of terrestrial basalts, gabbros and anorthosites have been investigated over the wavelength range 800 Å to 8000 Å and compared with previously reported measurements of the lunar albedo. For most of the terrestrial samples the albedo changed only slightly between visible and middle ultraviolet wavelengths in striking contrast to the Moon where the ultraviolet albedo is about a factor of five or ten less than it is in the visible. Some of the lighter coloured terrestrial anorthositic samples were however found to have albedo curves that fairly closely approximate the ultraviolet darkening of the Moon. The general shape of the lunar ultraviolet albedo may be caused by a layer of anorthositic fragments on the Moon such as have been found to be a very abundant component of the Apollo ‘coarse-fines’.     

Observations of Lunar Transient Phenomena (LTP) in 1972 and 1973

A list of reports of Lunar Transient Phenomena (LTP) which have been observed in 1972 and 1973 by an international group of amateur astronomers is given. From 907 monitoring observations (1972: 526, 1973: 381) 92 LTP (74 reliable, 18 possible individual sightings) have been reported (1972: 52, 1973: 40) including parallel observations of the same event. The LTP were brightenings, shadings, flashes, colours, moving clouds and brightness diminutions of stars before occultations. 45 LTP events may be expected to be real in a catalogue of criteria for the reliability of observations. Sixteen events have been reported by several independent observers. A short examination of the temporal distributions of monitoring observations and recorded LTP is given.     

New Earth-based absolute photometry of the Moon

A 2-month series of quasi-simultaneous imaging photometric observations of the Moon and the Sun has been performed at Maidanak Observatory (Uzbekistan). New absolute values of lunar albedo have been obtained. Maps of lunar apparent albedo and equigonal albedo at phase angles 1.7-73° at wavelength 603 nm are presented. The standard deviation of our data from a best-fitted phase curve is 2%. The average ratio of the Clementine albedo to ours is 1.41. While the ratio of ROLO albedo to ours is 0.87, our data are in agreement with independent measurements of absolute albedo by Saiki et al. (Saiki, K., Saito, K., Okuno, H., Suzuki, A., Yamanoi, Y., Hirata N., Nakamura, R. [2008]. Earth Planets Space 60, 417-424) at a phase angle near 7°. A phase ratio imaging near opposition (1.6°/2.7°) shows almost the same ratio for maria and highlands, though bright craters (e.g., Tycho, Copernicus, Aristarchus) clearly reveal smaller slopes of phase function. This is an unexpected result, as the craters are bright and one could anticipate a manifestation of the coherent backscattering effect resulting in the opposition spike increasing at so small phase angles.     

Time variability of Martian bolometric albedo

A time-sequential set of bolometric albedo maps for Mars has been constructed from Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper data. The maps provide global coverage in longitude for latitudes -60° to +60° at 1° by 1° spatial resolution. Individual maps are constructed under strict geometric constraints for a narrow range of L_s. The set of albedo maps spans a Martian year and includes maps before, during, and after the global dust storms of 1977. Transient brightenings associated with local dust storms or condensate clouds are apparent in some of the maps. During dust-free periods, bolometric albedo maps are generally similar to classical, visual albedo map of Mars. The distribution of bolometric surface albedos is bimodal with typical, clear-sky, Lambert albedos of 0.27 and 0.16 for bright and dark areas, respectively. Atmospheric effects strongly influence apparent surface albedos, especially for dark areas. Neither bright nor dark regions show measurable, long-term variations of bolometric albedos during clear periods.     

The ultraviolet reflectivity of the moon

The ultraviolet flux from the entire lunar disk has been measured in a series of rocket flights from Woomera at several wavelength bands in the range 2400-2900 Å and also at the wavelength of the hydrogen Lα line (1216 Å). Comparison of these measurements with other observations shows that between the visible and middle ultraviolet part of the spectrum, the lunar albedo decreases sharply towards shorter wavelengths falling to (0.7 ± 0.1) percent at 2400 Å which is a factor of ten less than the visible albedo. The measured albedo at 1216 Å is (0.3 ± 0.1) percent indicating that the decline in reflectivity with decreasing wavelength is less rapid at far ultraviolet wavelengths than is the decline between visible and middle ultraviolet.     

The apparent lack of lunar-like swirls on Mercury: Implications for the formation of lunar swirls and for the agent of space weathering

Images returned by the MESSENGER spacecraft from the Mercury flybys have been examined to search for anomalous high-albedo markings similar to lunar swirls. Several features suggested to be swirls on the basis of Mariner 10 imaging (in the craters Handel and Lermontov) are seen in higher-resolution MESSENGER images to lack the characteristic morphology of lunar swirls. Although antipodes of large impact basins on the Moon are correlated with swirls, the antipodes of the large impact basins on Mercury appear to lack unusual albedo markings. The antipodes of Mercury’s Rembrandt, Beethoven, and Tolstoj basins do not have surface textures similar to the “hilly and lineated” terrain found at the Caloris antipode, possibly because these three impacts were too small to produce obvious surface disturbances at their antipodes. Mercury does have a class of unusual high-reflectance features, the bright crater-floor deposits (BCFDs). However, the BCFDs are spectral outliers, not simply optically immature material, which implies the presence of material with an unusual composition or physical state. The BCFDs are thus not analogs to the lunar swirls. We suggest that the lack of lunar-type swirls on Mercury supports models for the formation of lunar swirls that invoke interaction between the solar wind and crustal magnetic anomalies (i.e., the solar-wind standoff model and the electrostatic dust-transport model) rather than those models of swirl formation that relate to cometary impact phenomena. If the solar-wind standoff hypothesis for lunar swirls is correct, it implies that the primary agent responsible for the optical effects of space weathering on the Moon is solar-wind ion bombardment rather than micrometeoroid impact.     

Probable swirls detected as photometric anomalies in Oceanus Procellarum

Images of the lunar nearside obtained by telescopes of Maidanak Observatory (Uzbekistan) and Simeiz Observatory (Crimea, Ukraine) equipped with Canon CMOS cameras and Sony CCD LineScan camera were used to study photometric properties of the lunar nearside in several spectral bands. A wide range of lunar phase angles was covered, and the method of phase ratios to assess the steepness of the phase function at different phase angles is applied. We found several areas with photometric anomalies in the south-west portion of the lunar disk that we refer to as Oceanus Procellarum anomalies. The areas being unique on the lunar nearside do not obey the inverse correlation between albedo and phase-curve slope, demonstrating high phase-curve slopes at intermediate albedo. Low-Sun images acquired with Lunar Orbiter IV and Apollo-16 cameras do not reveal anomalous topography of the regions, at least for scales larger than several tens of meters. The areas also do not have any thermal inertia, radar (70 and 3.8 cm), magnetic, or chemical/mineral peculiarities. On the other hand they exhibit a polarimetric signature that we interpret to be due to the presence of a porous regolith upper layer consisting of dust particles. The anomalies may be interpreted as regions of very fresh shallow regolith disturbances caused by impacts of meteoroid swarms consisting of rather small impactors. This origin is similar to one of the hypotheses for the origin of lunar swirls like the Reiner-γ formation. The photometric difference between the shallow and pervasive (Reiner-γ class) swirls is that the latter appear to have a significant amount of immature soils in the upper surface layers.     

Photometric properties of lunar terrains derived from Hapke's equation

The photometric parameters of B. W. Hapke's (1986, Icarus 67, 264–280) equation are fit to the lunar disk-integrated visual lightcurve and to disk-resolved data of R. W. Shorthill, J. M. Saari, F. E. Baird, and J. R. LeCompte (1969, Photometric Properties of Selected Lunar Features, NASA Contractor Report CR-1429) for dark, average, and bright lunar terrains. The lunar nearside geometric albedo and phase integral computed from the disk-integrated results are consistent with those of earlier investigators. The single scattering albedos of disk-resolved average and bright lunar terrains are systematically larger than that of lunar mare. Average particles in dark terrain regoliths are more backscattering than those in average and bright lunar terrains. The angular width of the opposition surge is greatest in dark terrains and is found to be best explained by modest differences in regolith particle-size distributions which might accompany the normal regolith maturation process. The total amplitude of the opposition surge for dark terrains is larger than for average and bright terrains. This result appears to be a consequence of the fact that in opaque particles, a larger fraction of singly scattered light at zero phase comes from first-surface reflection. The average subcentimeter macroscopic roughness of dark terrains is significantly lower than that of average and bright terrains. The relative magnitude of this difference is consistent with that obtained from radar measurements at decimeter scales.     

The Mars opposition effect at 20°N. latitude and 20°W. longitude

Low phase angle observations in the Chryse-Acidalia region have been obtained the Viking Orbiter 1 spacecraft under clearer atmospheric conditions than reported earlier. A variety of surface features were recorded, e.g., crater streaks, dark and bright patches. Several findings for this scene include: an abrupt brightness increase (10%) was found at phase angles less than 3°, an effect dependent on surface albedo and possibly particle distribution; a slight weakening of reflectance surge with decreasing wavelengths; a larger opposition effect for features of high albedo was recorded; and a greater reddening with increase phase angle took place for low albedo regions. Both reflectance and contrast values are provided at three wavelengths as a function of phase angle from 0.15 to 20°.     

Space weathering on Eros: Constraints from albedo and spectral measurements of Psyche crater

Abstract— We present combined multi‐spectral imager (MSI) (0.95 μm) and near‐infrared spectrometer (NIS) (0.8–2.4 μm) observations of Psyche crater on S‐type asteroid 433 Eros obtained by the Near‐Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR)—Shoemaker spacecraft. At 5.3 km in diameter, Psyche is one of the largest craters on Eros which exhibit distinctive brightness patterns consistent with downslope motion of dark regolith material overlying a substrate of brighter material. At spatial scales of 620 m/ spectrum, Psyche crater wall materials exhibit albedo contrasts of 32–40% at 0.946 μm. Associated spectral variations occur at a much lower level of 4–8% (±2–4%). We report results of scattering model and lunar analogy investigations into several possible causes for these albedo and spectral trends: grain size differences, olivine, pyroxene, and troilite variations, and optical surface maturation. We find that the albedo contrasts in Psyche crater are not consistent with a cause due solely to variations in grain size, olivine, pyroxene or lunar‐like optical maturation. A grain size change sufficient to explain the observed albedo contrasts would result in strong color variations that are not observed. Olivine and pyroxene variations would produce strong band‐correlated variations that are not observed. A simple lunar‐like optical maturation effect would produce strong reddening that is not observed. The contrasts and associated spectral variation trends are most consistent with a combination of enhanced troilite (a dark spectrally neutral component simulating optical effects of shock) and lunar‐like optical maturation. These results suggest that space weathering processes may affect the spectral properties of Eros materials, causing surface exposures to differ optically from subsurface bedrock. However, there are significant spectral differences between Eros' proposed analog meteorites (ordinary chondrites and/or primitive achondrites), and Eros' freshest exposures of subsurface bright materials. After accounting for all differences in the measurement units of our reflectance comparisons, we have found that the bright materials on Eros have reflectance values at 0.946 μm consistent with meteorites, but spectral continua that are much redder than meteorites from 1.5 to 2.4 μm. Most importantly, we calculate that average Eros surface materials are 30–40% darker than meteorites.     

The surficial nature of lunar swirls as revealed by the Mini-RF instrument

Lunar swirls are optically bright, sinuous albedo features found on the Moon. The Mini-RF synthetic aperture radar on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has provided a comprehensive set of X- and S-Band radar images of these enigmatic features, including the first radar observations of swirls on the farside of the Moon. A few general remarks can be made about the nature of the lunar swirls from this data set. First, the average radar properties of lunar swirls are identical to nearby non-swirl regions, in both total radar backscatter and circular polarization ratio (CPR). This implies that average centimeter-scale roughness and composition within the high-albedo portions of the swirls do not differ appreciably from the surroundings, and that the high optical reflectance of the swirls is related to a very thin surface phenomenon (less than several decimeters thick) not observable with X- or S-Band radar. Secondly, bright swirl material appears to be stratigraphically younger than a newly discovered impact melt flow at Gerasimovich D. This observation indicates that the swirls are capable of forming over timescales less than the age of the crater. The Mini-RF data set also provides clues to the origin of the lunar swirls. In at least one case, the presence of an enhanced crustal magnetic field appears to be responsible for the preservation of a high-albedo ejecta blanket around an otherwise degraded crater, Descartes C. The degree of degradation of Descartes C suggests it should not be optically bright, yet it is. This implies that the enhanced albedo is related to its location within a magnetic anomaly, and hence supports an origin hypothesis that invokes interaction between the solar wind and the magnetic anomaly.     

The Big Bear Solar Observatory Ca II K‐line index for solar cycle 23

We present an analysis of 2634 Ca II K‐line full‐disk filtergrams obtained with the 15‐cm aperture photometric full‐disk telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory during the period from 1996 January 1 to 2005 October 24. Using limb darkening corrected and contrast enhanced filtergrams, solar activity indices were derived, which are sensitive to the 11‐year solar activity cycle and 27‐day rotational period of plages around active regions and the bright chromospheric network. The present work extends an earlier study (solar cycle 22), which was based on video data. The current digital data are of much improved quality with higher spatial resolution and a narrower passband ameliorating photometric accuracy. The time series of chromospheric activity indices cover most of solar cycle 23. One of the most conspicuous features of the Ca II K indices is the secondary maximum in late 2001/early 2002 after an initial decline of chromospheric activity during the first half of 2001. We conclude that a secular trend exists in the Ca II K indices, which has its origin in the bright chromospheric network and brightenings related to decaying active regions. Superposed on this secular trend are the signatures of recurring, long‐lived active regions, which are clusters of persistent and continuously emerging magnetic flux. Such features are less visible, when the activity belts on both side of the equator are devoid of the brightenings related to decaying active regions as was the case in October/November 2003 at a time when a superactivity complex including several naked‐eye sunspots emerged (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The negative polarization parameters of the light scattered by the lunar surface: Mapping

The images of the southwestern part of the lunar disk showing the distributions of the negative polarization parameters of the light scattered by the lunar surface are presented. The distributions of the negative polarization minimum P _min, the inversion angle α_inv, and the polarization slope at the inversion point h significantly differ from the albedo image. This testifies to the fact that polarimetry yields independent information on the structure and optical properties of the lunar regolith.     

Tektites - volcanic ejecta from the moon?

The problem of the origin of the enigmatic tektites is still unsolved. The two leading hypotheses - viz., ejecta from terrestrial impacts, and ejecta from lunar volcanoes or lunar impacts, each encounters serious difficulties. The former has ballistic and water content difficulties, while the latter has some compositional difficulties, especially in the trace elements, as determined from the returned samples. It is possible that the latter problem may be met through lunar volcanic ejecta from sites suggesting more differentiation than the majority of the Moon. That such features may exist is suggested from the identity of some granitic material in the returned rocks and soil samples implying fairly sizable source regions on the Moon. The rare terrestrial strewn tektite fields require restrictive ballistic trajectories from the Moon. Calculations reveal that ellipses of varying, decreasing sizes which depend on velocity of vertical ejection from which ejecta will intersect the earth at low-entrance angles occur on the nearside of the Moon. Reasonable velocities were chosen (2.55 to 3.0 km s^?1) and these ellipses circumscribe areas with longitudes between 30 and 50° east and latitudes between 7° north and south of the Moon's equator. These areas were searched for evidence of volcanism. As tektites have compositions ranging from acidic (major tektites) to basic (micro-tektites) contents of silica (SiO₂) both acidic and basic volcanic features were sought. Since tektites range in age from about 30 million to 700000 yr old, they imply recent volcanism. Lunar Transient Phenomena (LTP) and data from various Apollo missions indicate that mild internal activity may still be occurring on the Moon. LTP sites are logical sources to investigate, of which four occur within the above delimited regions. These and their surroundings were examined and a number of possible explosive volcanism sites were found. These sites are identified and discussed after a review of the manifestations found from the various kinds of terrestrial volcanism for which lunar counterparts were sought.     

1991年7月11日日食观测的图象复原

１９９１年７月１１日日食期间，在大熊湖天文台进行了白光观测．图象是用６５ｃｍ反射系统和ＯＳＬ的ＣＣＤ获得的．月亮边缘始终包含在视场之中，从模糊的月亮边缘轮廓推得了一维的视宁度点扩散函数（ＰＳＦ），其中包含了望远镜引起的畸变。当天的ＰＳＦ的宽度介于０．８到１．３弧秒之间。假设存在圆柱对称性，则可得到二维的ＰＳＦ。然后，运用视宁度函数，对所观测的白光像消卷积。复原方法将观测到的ｒｍｓ反衬值由５％增强到１８％；亮桥可能亮于正常的光球强度；暗的半影纤维可能暗到正常光球的５０％；而亮纤维可能达到正常光球值。     

Optical measurements of the Moon as a tool to study its surface

This survey is a general overview of modern optical studies of the Moon and their diagnostic meaning. It includes three united parts: phase photometry, spectrophotometry, and polarimetry. The first one is devoted to the progress in the photometry of the Moon, which includes absolute albedo determination to refine the albedo scale (e.g., to connect lunar observations and the data of lunar sample measurements) and mapping the parameters of a lunar photometric function (e.g., the phase-angle ratios method) with the aim of making qualitative estimates of regolith structure variations. This part also includes observations of the lunar opposition effect as well as photogrammetry and photoclinometry techniques. In particular, available data show that because of the low albedo of the lunar surface, the coherent backscattering enhancement hardly influences the lunar opposition spike, with the exception of the brightest lunar areas measured in the NIR. The second part is devoted to chemical/mineral mapping of the Moon's surface using spectrophotometric measurements. This section also includes analyses related to the detection of water ice or hydroxyl, prognoses of maturity, and helium-3 abundance mapping. In particular, we examine the relationship between superficial OH/H₂O compounds spectrally detected recently and bulk “water ice” found earlier by the Lunar Prospector GRS and LRO LEND, assuming that the compounds are delivered to cold traps (permanently shadowed regions) with electrostatically levitated dust saturated by solar wind hydrogen. Significant problems arise with the determination of TiO₂ content, as the correlation between this parameter and the color ratio C(750/415 nm) is very non-linear and not universal for different composition types of the lunar surface; a promising way to resolve this problem is to use color ratios in the UV spectral range. The third part is devoted to mapping of polarization parameters of the lunar surface, which enable estimates of the average size of regolith particles and their optical inhomogeneity. This includes considerations of the Umov effect and results of spectropolarimetry, negative polarization imagery, and measurements of other polarimetric parameters, including the third Stokes parameter. Although these three research divisions have not been developed equally and the numbers of proper references are very different, we try to keep a balance between them, depicting a uniform picture. It should be emphasized that many results presented in this review can be applied to other atmosphereless celestial bodies as well.     

A photometric investigation of the lunar crater rays

This investigation deals with accurate photometric data concerning a number of rays of Tycho, Copernicus, Kepler, and Aristarchus. They have been derived from plates taken at the Yerkes Observatory in a night of a total lunar eclipse near phase angle 0°. By comparing the normal albedo with that of the surroundings of the rays we found that they can be interpreted as samples of telescopically unresolved bright patches. The fractional areak covered by these patches varies along the ray and shows that they are composed of a number of separate ray elements. The observed value ofk is in accordance with counts on a Ranger photograph.The distribution of the brightness along the rays has also been compared with the mass distribution of the ejecta in the rays around terrestrial explosion craters. The mean length of the lunar rays is in full accordance with its extrapolated terrestrial value. We cannot assume, however, that the rays are regions covered with a homogeneous layer of white powder, because the comparison with the terrestrial explosion craters gives an unprobable value for the height of the layer of the ejecta. The same results follow now from the photometric properties of the rays.From a comparison with the difference in albedo at the Surveyor's footprints follows the suggestion that the lunar rays are composed of bright patches, where the surface material came into a state of lower porosity, while it has a higher porosity in the dark halos around the craters. A suspected dark halo around Tycho has photometrically been measured and the results prove that it really exists. Kepler also shows a very weak halo.     

Lunar Occultation of Saturn II. The normal reflectances of Rhea,Titan, and Iapetus

An inversion procedure to obtain the reflectance of the central region of a satellite's disk from lunar occultation data is presented. The scheme assumes that the limb darkening of the satellite depends only on the radial distance from the center of the disk. Given this assumption, normal reflectances can be derived that are essentially independent of the limb darkening and the diameter of the satellite. The procedure has been applied to our observations of the March 1974 lunar occultation of Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, and Iapetus. In the V passband we derive the following normal reflectances: Rhea (0.97±0.20), Titan (0.24±0.03), Iapetus, bright face (0.60±0.14). For Tethys and Dione the values derived have large uncertainties, but are consistent with our result for Rhea.     

Short-term temporal variations of X-ray bright points

Skylab S-054 data have been used to examine the flux from X-ray bright points with 90 s time resolution. There is evidence of a steady heating input, similar to one reported for active region loops. Also observed are impulsive brightenings of bright points and rapid decays which are consistent with a sudden turn-off of the steady heating.