Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T05:14:44.056Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Astronomy from a Lunar Base

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2017

S. Volonte
S. Volonte*
Affiliation:
European Space Agency 8-10 rue Mario Nikis 75738 Paris Cedex 15 France

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The Moon is generally considered to be an ideal site for astronomy, offering excellent observing conditions and access to the entire electromagnetic and particle spectrum. A wide range of astronomical observations can be carried out from the Moon, but, as concluded in a recent ESA study (Mission to the Moon 1992), only a restricted number could be better implemented from a lunar site rather than from any other location. Very low frequency (VLF) astronomy, astrometry and interferometry fall into this category, as well as a transit telescope to map dark matter in the Universe. Whilst VLF and astrometric telescopes should be automatic, long baseline interferometers will probably require human intervention and will thus benefit from a manned lunar base.

Type
3. Expected Developments in High Precision Astrometry
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 166: Astronomical and Astrophysical Objectives of Sub-Milliarcsecond Optical Astrometry , 1995 , pp. 347 - 350
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1995 

References

ESA Interferometry Review Panel, 1994, Report, in preparation Google Scholar
Fort, B. and Mellier, Y., 1994, Astron. & Astrophys. Review, in press Google Scholar
Mission to the Moon, 1992, ESA SP-1150 Google Scholar
Mumma, M.J., Smith, H.J., Editors, 1990 : Astrophysics from the Moon, American Institute of Physics, Conference Proceedings 207, New York Google Scholar
Ridgway, S., 1993, The scientific support for a space interferometry mission; Spaceborne Interferometry, SPIE Vol. 1947, Reasenberg, R.D., EditorGoogle Scholar