Microwaving the Moon [Space]

After I first saw the words microwave and moon in a sentence, I believed of dinner-not in regards to the very first microwave map of the whole moon. That was a shame, because the latter is truly an excellent achievement:

The first complete microwave image of the Moon taken by Chinese lunar satellite Chang’E-1 has been revealed. Chang’E-1 is China’s first scientific mission to explore planetary bodies beyond Earth and the on-board Lunar Microwave Radiometer has made it possible for the first time to globally map the Moon in microwave frequencies.

Radar observations of the Moon are unable to present thermal information, and microwave observations taken from Earth cannot reach the far side of the moon. So Chang’E-1′s (CE-1) orbit was conducted at an altitude of 200km (124 miles) and allowed it to look at every location of the moon with a nadir view and at high spatial resolution.

Basically, this map gives us more detail than ever before and can even help ” estimate distribution and amount of helium 3 which has been suggested as a nuclear fuel for in-situ fusion energy production in possible future human settlements on the Moon.” [ GizMag via Wired UK ]

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This post is tagged: far side of the moon, high spatial resolution, location of the moon, microwave frequencies, microwave observations, microwave radiometer, radar observations