The Excitement of Transient Lunar Phenomena
Appearing as strange flashes of light, color changes, or blurring on the surface of the Moon, they are known as transient lunar phenomena, and have been observed and photographed by countless stargazers and astronomers over the centuries. With no explanation as to their origin, even their existence, whether or not they were actual phenomena, was strenuously debated.
The TLPs usually last for several minutes, and appear to cover a few miles in area. The effect has been variously attributed to turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere, physiological visual effects, the smearing influence of the atmosphere, similar to a prism, or psychological factors.
Arlin Crotts, astronomy professor at Columbia University, has conducted research suggesting radon gas leaking from the surface of the Moon as the best explanation for TLPs. Reports of observed transient lunar phenomena were correlated with known releases of radon gas from the lunar surface, which had been recorded by a number of spacecraft, including NASA’s Apollo 15 in 1971 and the robotic Lunar Prospector in 1989. The result was a strong statistical connection between the observation of TLPs and what is known as outgassing events on the Moon. Outgassing occurs as gases trapped beneath the surface of a moon or planet released and becomes a part of the atmosphere. The composition of this gas includes radon as an important element.
Although outgassing as an explanation for transient lunar phenomena has been discussed in the past, many scientists had considered the Moon to be no longer volcanically active, despite moonquakes, and the occasional observation of argon gas being emitted from the surface. Another obstacle to identifying the source of TLPs was the voluminous data which had been gathered concerning the phenomena.
Recently Crotts, in a joint project with Professors Paul Hickson from the University of British Columbia, and Thomas Pfrommer and Cameron Hummels of Columbia, built the robotic camera at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in northern Chile, designed to automatically scan the Moon every few seconds for TLPs. The camera will provide an accurate record of the phenomena, avoiding the pitfalls that have plagued earlier attempts to explain them. Until now, inadequate equipment, human error and unacceptable recording of information have adversely influenced the studies of TLPs.
More monitors are in the planning stages, and the researchers are hoping to pinpoint with greater accuracy the source of outgassing on the lunar surface. According to Crotts, improved maps are already indicating further interesting features on the Moon.
This entry was posted on Sunday, August 12th, 2007 at 7:01 am and is filed under Space Agency News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
