Abstract
Imaging spectrometer observations were made of the surface of the
Moon during the December 1990 flyby of the Earth-Moon system by the
Galileo spacecraft. This article documents this data set and presents
analyses of some of the data. The near infrared mapping spectrometer
(NIMS) investigation obtained 17 separate mosaics of the Moon in
408 spectral channels between about 0.7 and 5.2 mum. The instrument
was originally designed to operate in orbit about Jupiter and therefore
saturates at many spectral channels for most measurement situations
at 1 AU. However, sufficient measurements were made of the Moon to
verify the proper operation of the instrument and to demonstrate
its capabilities. Analysis of these data show that the NIMS worked
as expected and produced measurements consistent with previous ground-based
telescopic studies. These are the first imaging spectrometer measurements
of this type from space for the Moon, and they illustrate several
major points concerning this type of observation and about the NIMS
capabilities specifically. Of major importance are the difference
between framing and scanning instruments and the effects of the spacecraft
and the scan platform on the performance of such an experiment. The
Science return of subsequent NIMS and other investigation measurements
will be significantly enhanced by the experience and results gained.
Users
Please
log in to take part in the discussion (add own reviews or comments).