view Abstract Citations (1) References Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Physical Categories of the Moon's Nocturnal Hotspots. Wildey, Robert L. Abstract A map of the thermal surface brightness of lunar regions dark- ward of the sunset terminator, together with a positional chart of a large number of nighttime hotspots, has recently been provided through telescopic reconnaissance in the 8-14 p region (Wildey, Murray, and Westphal, J. Geophys. Res. 72, 1967, to be published). Xine additional thermal anomalies have been added to this collection for a thermodynamic analysis and for a morphological analysis of the signal properties of these anomalies. Information extraction has been carried to the limit allowed by system noise. Attempts to regain the cooling curves of anomalies provide suggestive information that the anomalies are not all volcanic, a fact previously suspected but never observed directly. In addition it may be concluded that two categories of anomalies are present on the moon's dark side, not including "false" anomalies of the "delayed sunset" type in which a feature of large positive topographic expression experiences an effective terminator passage later than its surrounding terrain. One category contains anomalies which are faint in intensity but range to great breadth. The other category exhibits hotspots of wide intensity range all of which are quite small. It seems simplest to explain them as partly magmatic heat sources and partly regions of more consolidated rock, or perhaps conductivity anomalies, part of which arise from the exposure and fusion resulting from impact and the balance of which arise from magma which has solidified too recently to have reached the steady state surface conductivity which is produced by cosmic agents of erosion and sedimentation. It is noted that Lunar Orbiter photography has shown that the eclipse anomalies tend to be boulder fields, which agrees with our previous predictions. The present observations predict that something quite different will be found in (e.g.,) Mare Crisium by the high inclination Lunar Orbiters. Publication: The Astronomical Journal Pub Date: September 1967 DOI: 10.1086/110565 Bibcode: 1967AJ.....72S.837W full text sources ADS |