Light, shadow and ice?
On September 3, 2006, SMART-1 crashed on the moon - in a controlled crash. But the data material that Europe's first moon probe provided will keep scientists busy for years to come. The researchers are particularly interested in whether there are zones of "eternal night" in the polar regions of the moon where water ice could have collected.
The photo shows the crater Shackleton at the south pole of the moon. The SMART-1 probe, which orbited the Earth's satellite on a polar orbit, flew over this region on almost every orbit. The picture shown here was taken on January 13, 2006, when it was "summer" at the lunar south pole, and still shows details of 60 meters in size.
The diameter of the crater, named after polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922), is 19 kilometers. Its interior is difficult to observe because of the long shadows cast by its high rim. From the large number of images that SMART-1 was able to obtain of this crater and which show it under different lighting conditions, the researchers hope to be able to make more precise statements about its interior. However, previous analyzes - supported by radio observations from Earth - do not yet provide a conclusive answer as to whether water ice is actually present.
UR
