Abstract
Lunar powder samples returned by Apollo 11 are remarkably similar in their optical properties to those measured for an area of several square kilometers surrounding Tranquillity base, suggesting a ubiquitous covering of the same material in the region. However, there are minor exceptions to the close match: the powder sample shows large polarizations and a larger opposition effect than would be expected from previous observations. In the spectrum of the lunar rock samples, we detected a strong, broad absorption at 0.92 μ and a weaker band at ≳1.8 μ, which are likely to be caused by Fe2+ in clinopyroxene. The band near one micron was absent in the powder sample (presumably because the particle sizes were too small), which suggests that the spectrophotometer may become a valuable tool in distinguishing between rocky and dusty areas on the moon.
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