| 44310 |
Creator |
1c5c32b11b5ad1bd9c846a77784abc38 |
| 44310 |
Creator |
f062697d62dd5682983453387aa5167e |
| 44310 |
Creator |
ext-220d3502e1b6641821a997e8e51d9f90 |
| 44310 |
Date |
2015 |
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Is Part Of |
repository |
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abstract |
The Earth’s Moon is the largest natural satellite in the inner Solar System. The Moon
is also witness to more than 4.5 Ga of Solar System history and is the only planetary
body other than the Earth for which we have collected samples from known locations.
Moreover, the lunar surface preserves a record of the cratering rate and the evolution
of solar and galactic cosmic radiations throughout the history of the Solar System.
Understanding the Moon is essential to understanding both the Earth and our Solar
System. Consequently, the Moon was the prime target in Solar System exploration programs,
before the pursuit of more distant targets such as Mars and beyond.
Our knowledge about the Moon is based on telescopic observations from the Earth, observations
by spacecraft from the lunar orbit, measurements on the lunar surface by manned and
unmanned lander missions and the analyses of lunar samples in terrestrial laboratories.
The knowledge gained from the Apollo and Luna programs of the 1960s
and subsequent lunar missions, carried out over the last four decades, continues to
demonstrate the value of the Moon in the understanding of our Solar System and the
fundamental processes that drive planetary formation and evolution. Because of its
restricted geological activity and relatively simple composition compared with the
Earth, the Moon provides insights into elementary planetary processes.
In comparison to the Earth, the Moon is depleted in both volatile elements, and iron
and other siderophile elements. Recently, however, the presence of H<sub>2</sub>O
and OH has been confirmed on the lunar surface as well as in lunar samples. While
it has long been suspected that water-ice might be preserved in cold traps at the
lunar poles, recent results indicate the presence of OH and H<sub>2</sub>O outside
of these regions. This new discovery makes the Moon an extremely interesting target
once again, both scientifically and as a potential resource. Although new data have
helped to address some of our questions about the Earth-Moon system, major new questions
have emerged and many existing ones remain unanswered. |
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authorList |
authors |
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editorList |
editors |
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status |
peerReviewed |
| 44310 |
volume |
15 |
| 44310 |
type |
Article |
| 44310 |
type |
BookSection |
| 44310 |
label |
Anand, M ; Barnes, J. J. and Hallis, L. J. (2015). Lunar geology. In: Lee, M.
R. and Leroux, H. eds. Planetary Mineralogy, Volume 15. European Mineralogical
Union and the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, pp. 129–164.
|
| 44310 |
label |
Anand, M ; Barnes, J. J. and Hallis, L. J. (2015). Lunar geology. In: Lee, M. R.
and Leroux, H. eds. Planetary Mineralogy, Volume 15. European Mineralogical
Union and the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, pp. 129–164. |
| 44310 |
Publisher |
ext-99dcd304e735ad615ee162c5f8d2c106 |
| 44310 |
Title |
Lunar geology |
| 44310 |
in dataset |
oro |