I mentioned that it was also on the NASA News e-mail letter.
To subscribe to the list, send a message to: hqnews-subscribe@
- LRK -
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http://news.discovery.com/
Moon's Core Much Like Earth's
Earth's moon may be a chip off of the old block in more ways than one.
By Irene Klotz
Fri Jan 7, 2011 05:00 PM ET
The moon may not only be a chip off the home planet. It may also have formed an Earth-like core, new research suggests, a finding that has implications for understanding the moon's history and evolution.
Using seismic analysis tools developed for probing Earth, scientists took another look at data collected by four sensors positioned on the lunar surface by NASA astronauts during the 1969-1972 Apollo moon program.
snip
------------------------------
The information contained in the NASA News can be read here.
I hope you read the whole article, especially the last few paragraphs.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/home/
RELEASE : 11-004 Jan. 6, 2011 NASA Research Team Reveals Moon Has Earth-Like Core WASHINGTON – State-of-the-art seismological techniques applied to Apollo-era data suggest our moon has a core similar to Earth's.
Uncovering details about the lunar core is critical for developing accurate models of the moon's formation. The data sheds light on the evolution of a lunar dynamo -- a natural process by which our moon may have generated and maintained its own strong magnetic field.
The team's findings suggest the moon possesses a solid, iron-rich inner core with a radius of nearly 150 miles and a fluid, primarily liquid-iron outer core with a radius of roughly 205 miles. Where it differs from Earth is a partially molten boundary layer around the core estimated to have a radius of nearly 300 miles. The research indicates the core contains a small percentage of light elements such as sulfur, echoing new seismology research on Earth that suggests the presence of light elements -- such as sulfur and oxygen -- in a layer around our own core.
The researchers used extensive data gathered during the Apollo-era moon missions. The Apollo Passive Seismic Experiment consisted of four seismometers deployed between 1969 and 1972, which recorded continuous lunar seismic activity until late-1977.
"We applied tried and true methodologies from terrestrial seismology to this legacy data set to present the first-ever direct detection of the moon's core," said Renee Weber, lead researcher and space scientist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
In addition to Weber, the team consisted of scientists from Marshall; Arizona State University; the University of California at Santa Cruz; and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris in France. Their findings are published in the online edition of the journal Science.
snip
Future NASA missions will help gather more detailed data. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, is a NASA Discovery-class mission set to launch this year. The mission consists of twin spacecraft that will enter tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure the gravity field in unprecedented detail. The mission also will answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon and provide scientists a better understanding of the satellite from crust to core, revealing subsurface structures and, indirectly, its thermal history.
NASA and other space agencies have been studying concepts to establish an International Lunar Network -- a robotic set of geophysical monitoring stations on the moon -- as part of efforts to coordinate international missions during the coming decade.
For more information about NASA science exploration missions, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/
snip
------------------------------
A lot of related information. Worth bookmarking to keep up with what is happening.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/
Moon & Mars
snip
------------------------------
There are different ways to look at the Moon. Some from analyzing radio metric data from satellites orbiting the Moon as was done with Lunar Prospector. Of course it is nice to actually use the data from the instruments as well.
http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/
- LRK
------------------------------
http://www.sciencemag.org/
Improved Gravity Field of the Moon from Lunar Prospector
snip
------------------------------
Nice to look at past data and find more questions to answer.
More data every day from LRO. Maybe someone will look up and realize we haven't done all that can be done.
Start mapping out your plans for exploration.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/
Moon's Core Much Like Earth's
Earth's moon may be a chip off of the old block in more ways than one.
By Irene Klotz
Fri Jan 7, 2011 05:00 PM ET
THE GIST
- A new look at old Apollo seismic data confirms the structure of the moon's core.
- Like Earth, the moon has a solid inner core and a liquid outer layer. The moon also has a mushy, semi-liquid layer around that.
- A new NASA mission due to launch this year should provide more details of how the moon evolved.
Using seismic analysis tools developed for probing Earth, scientists took another look at data collected by four sensors positioned on the lunar surface by NASA astronauts during the 1969-1972 Apollo moon program.
snip
------------------------------
The information contained in the NASA News can be read here.
I hope you read the whole article, especially the last few paragraphs.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/home/
RELEASE : 11-004 Jan. 6, 2011
Uncovering details about the lunar core is critical for developing accurate models of the moon's formation. The data sheds light on the evolution of a lunar dynamo -- a natural process by which our moon may have generated and maintained its own strong magnetic field.
The team's findings suggest the moon possesses a solid, iron-rich inner core with a radius of nearly 150 miles and a fluid, primarily liquid-iron outer core with a radius of roughly 205 miles. Where it differs from Earth is a partially molten boundary layer around the core estimated to have a radius of nearly 300 miles. The research indicates the core contains a small percentage of light elements such as sulfur, echoing new seismology research on Earth that suggests the presence of light elements -- such as sulfur and oxygen -- in a layer around our own core.
The researchers used extensive data gathered during the Apollo-era moon missions. The Apollo Passive Seismic Experiment consisted of four seismometers deployed between 1969 and 1972, which recorded continuous lunar seismic activity until late-1977.
"We applied tried and true methodologies from terrestrial seismology to this legacy data set to present the first-ever direct detection of the moon's core," said Renee Weber, lead researcher and space scientist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
In addition to Weber, the team consisted of scientists from Marshall; Arizona State University; the University of California at Santa Cruz; and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris in France. Their findings are published in the online edition of the journal Science.
snip
Future NASA missions will help gather more detailed data. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, is a NASA Discovery-class mission set to launch this year. The mission consists of twin spacecraft that will enter tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure the gravity field in unprecedented detail. The mission also will answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon and provide scientists a better understanding of the satellite from crust to core, revealing subsurface structures and, indirectly, its thermal history.
NASA and other space agencies have been studying concepts to establish an International Lunar Network -- a robotic set of geophysical monitoring stations on the moon -- as part of efforts to coordinate international missions during the coming decade.
For more information about NASA science exploration missions, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/
snip
------------------------------
A lot of related information. Worth bookmarking to keep up with what is happening.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/
Moon & Mars
LRO Creates New Lunar Topographic Map
LRO is allowing researchers to create the most precise and complete map to date of the moon's complex, heavily cratered landscape.
NASA Research Team Reveals Moon Has Earth-Like Core
01.06.11 - State-of-the-art seismological techniques applied to Apollo-era data suggest our moon has a core similar to Earth's.NASA Selects Companies for Further Lunar Demonstrations Data
12.20.10 - NASA has issued delivery orders to three companies as part of its Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data (ILDD) project.snip
------------------------------
There are different ways to look at the Moon. Some from analyzing radio metric data from satellites orbiting the Moon as was done with Lunar Prospector. Of course it is nice to actually use the data from the instruments as well.
http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/
- LRK
------------------------------
http://www.sciencemag.org/
Improved Gravity Field of the Moon from Lunar Prospector
Abstract
An improved gravity model from Doppler tracking of the Lunar Prospector (LP) spacecraft reveals three new large mass concentrations (mascons) on the nearside of the moon beneath the impact basins Mare Humboltianum, Mendel-Ryberg, and Schiller-Zucchius, where the latter basin has no visible mare fill. Although there is no direct measurement of the lunar farside gravity, LP partially resolves four mascons in the large farside basins of Hertzsprung, Coulomb-Sarton, Freundlich-Sharonov, and Mare Moscoviense. The center of each of these basins contains a gravity maximum relative to the surrounding basin. The improved normalized polar moment of inertia (0.3932 ± 0.0002) is consistent with an iron core with a radius of 220 to 450 kilometers.------------------------------
Nice to look at past data and find more questions to answer.
More data every day from LRO. Maybe someone will look up and realize we haven't done all that can be done.
Start mapping out your plans for exploration.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/
===========================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================
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