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Infrared astronomy from the MoonThe purpose of this paper is to exhibit the advantages and limitations to infrared astronomical observations form the moon. The most obvious apparent advantage is the lack of a lunar atmosphere; radiation arriving from the universe is neither extinguished nor refracted as it approaches the lunar surface. However, the Earth's atmosphere's protection against cosmic rays is also lost, and infrared detectors are highly sensitive to irradiation by energetic particles. A second apparent advantage is the relative ease with which beams from an array of telescopes can be interferometrically combined; again the vacuum environment with constant refractive index of unity throughout, permits combination without phase delay across the entire spectral range. But thermal radiation from optical components and stray radiation from the lunar environment, just outside the light path, tend to lessen that advantage, except in narrow-spectral-band spatial interferometry, in which only the radiation in individual spectral lines is mapped, and broad-band thermal emission can be effectively filtered out. On the Moon's night side, and in polar craters on the Moon, radiative cooling should permit the attainment of high sensitivity with large telescopes. Just as the proposed Edison spacecraft primary mirror is expected to reach temperatures around 40 K, so also large lunar primary mirrors might be expected to reach temperatures in that range, making the zodiacal glow the main source of noise at wavelengths shortward of 25 micrometers. The slow rota tion of the Moon, and the lack of vibrations from natural sources such as winds, should provide advantages in guiding on specific astronomical sources. To learn as much as possible about the difficulties of remote observations in a hostile environment, Antarctic observatories should be used as test beds for the rigors of lunar observations. The strenuous requirements for successful astronomical observations from the South Pole are similar to those expected to be encountered in observations conducted from the Moon.
Document ID
19950028948
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Harwit, Martin
(Smithsonian Inst. Washington, DC, US, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Advances in Space Research
Volume: 14
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0273-1177
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
95A60547
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-1261
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS3-0702
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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