Isolating Lunar Materials

Abstract

MEMBERS of the Surveyor scientific evaluation and analysis team have shown, by counts of particles on Surveyor I and III photographs of the lunar terrain, that at two places in Oceanus Procellarum the surface rock is particulate with grain sizes down to less than 1 mm in diameter. Laboratory studies recently undertaken by the lunar team of the University of London Observatory point to a new method of investigating the sizes of submillimetric particles on the Moon. Instead of concentrating on only one of the possible physical methods—such as albedo measurements, spectrophotometry and polarization, taken separately—of probing the nature of the surface of the Moon, we integrate these approaches to draw conclusions about the nature of the lunar material only after the requirements of all avenues have been satisfied. In this way, many materials may be eliminated from candidature for the lunar surface and the choice of possible material suffers stricter control. The method may be illustrated by reference to certain physical studies of eleven basic and intermediate rocks ground to various grain sizes.