Click on image for PDF version of poster
Poster presented at the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference by N. G. Moss, T. M. Harper, M. B. Motta, A. D. Epps
“While some candidate craters were observed that appeared in LROC data but not in Lunar Orbiter data, these were all very near the edge of discernable feature size and are almost certainly explained by various differences between the images (e.g. sun angle or viewing geometry). While our initial search did not find any discernable new cratering, we have shown that data from the original analog Lunar Orbiter tapes, as recovered by the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery project, possesses the characteristics necessary to discern new craters at reasonably small sizes. If the entire Lunar Orbiter data set was recovered in this manner it may be possible for future researchers to apply automated methods to detect changes with much better chances of success.”
Apollo 17 Transcript – Possible Impact
The NASA Lunar Impact Monitoring Program, Rob Suggs Space Environments Team Lead and NASA Meteoroid Environment Office May 28, 2008
NASA Apollo 17 transcript discussion is given below (before descent to lunar surface):
03 15 38 09 (mission elapsed time) (10 Dec 1972, 21:16:09 UT – possible Geminid)
LMP Hey, I just saw a flash on the lunar surface!
CC Oh, yes?
Geminids 12/13/1972
LMP It was just out there north of Grimaldi [mare]. Just north of Grimaldi. You might see if you got anything on your seismometers, although a small impact probably would give a fair amount of visible light. CC Okay. We’ll check. LMP It was a bright little flash right out there near that crater. See the [sharp rimed] crater right at the [north] edge of [the] Grimaldi [mare]? Then there is another one [i.e., sharp rimed crater] [directly] north of it [about 50km]- fairly sharp one north of it. [That] is where there was just a thin streak [pin prick] [flash?] of light.
CC How about putting an X on the map where you saw it? LMP I keep looking for — yes, we will. I was planning on looking for those kind of things….