Temperatures of the Lacus Mortis Region of the Moon. Issue 2 (7th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Williams, Jean‐Pierre; Greenhagen, Benjamin T.; Bennett, Kristen A.; Paige, David A.; Kumari, Nandita; Ahrens, Caitlin J.; Rubanenko, Lior; Powell, Tyler M.; Prem, Parvathy; Blewett, David T.; Russell, Patrick S.; Hayne, Paul O.; Sullivan, Mark T.
• Is Part Of: Earth and space science. Volume 9:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-02-07
• Subjects: Moon -- thermophysics -- temperatures -- Lacus Mortis; Space sciences -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 500.5
• DOI: 10.1029/2021EA001966
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2333-5084

Abstract

Abstract: Over 11 years of data acquired by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment instrument aboard Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have been compiled into a comprehensive data set of surface temperatures in the Lacus Mortis region which includes the landing ellipse of the Astrobotic Mission One lander mission. These data provide diurnal brightness temperatures at 128 pixels per degree (ppd) spatial resolution and 0.1 hr of local time resolution. From this data set, we highlight several features that display variations in radiative and thermophysical properties in the Lacus Mortis region and characterize the temperatures of the Astrobotic Mission One landing ellipse. We identify distinctly contrasting properties of materials in the walls of Bürg crater, hummocks of materials on the southeast margin of the mare basalts, and materials exposed or excavated by impacts. Additionally, we describe an exceptionally rocky fault scarp that predates the formation of Bürg crater suggesting the observed boulders are replenished on a timescale <1 Ga. Within the Astrobotic landing ellipse, temperatures are observed to range from ∼88 to ∼359 K with sunrise and sunset local times constrained to 5.8–6.3 hr and 17.8 and 18.1 hr respectively. Key Points: Over 11 years of Diviner data are compiled into gridded temperatures of the Lacus Mortis region Variations in radiative, thermophysical, and compositional properties are mapped and contrasting properties of materials are identified Temperatures within the Astrobotic Mission One landing ellipse suggest the regolith properties are similar to the global average