|
Lunar South Pole
The lunar south pole is the southernmost point on the Moon. It is of interest to scientists because of the lunar water, occurrence of water ice in Crater of eternal darkness, permanently shadowed areas around it. The lunar south pole region features craters that are unique in that the near-constant sunlight does not reach their interior. Such craters are cold trap (astronomy), cold traps that contain fossil records of hydrogen, water ice, and other volatiles dating from the Formation and evolution of the Solar System, early Solar System. In contrast, the lunar north pole region exhibits a much lower quantity of similarly sheltered craters. Geography The lunar south pole is located on the center of the polar Antarctic Circle (80°S to 90°S).Lunar South Pole. NASA. 2017. Accessed on 16 July 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shackleton Crater
Shackleton is an impact crater that lies at the lunar south pole. The peaks along the crater's rim are exposed to almost continual sunlight, while the interior is perpetually in shadow. The low-temperature interior of this crater functions as a cold trap that may capture and freeze volatiles shed during comet impacts on the Moon. Measurements by the ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft showed higher than normal amounts of hydrogen within the crater, which may indicate the presence of water ice. The crater is named after Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Description The rotational axis of the Moon passes through Shackleton, near the rim. The crater is in diameter and deep. From the Earth, it is viewed edge-on in a region of rough, cratered terrain. It is located within the South Pole–Aitken basin on a massif. The rim is slightly raised about the surrounding surface and it has an outer rampart that has been only lightly impacted. No significant craters intersect the rim, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
