The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has analysed sunlight off the Moon as it continues its efforts to better understand the lunar surface
HIGHLIGHTS
- Chandrayaan-2 mission aims to enhance our understanding of the Moon
- Measuring variations in sunlight reflections will give clues on the composition of Moon’s surface
- This was the latest in a series of experiments carried out by the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter
Confused? Let us explain.
The Moon is not a source of light. That is, the Moon does not emit its own light. What it does is reflect the sunlight that hits the lunar surface. Now, there are variations in the sunlight that is reflected off the Moon’s surface. The Indian Space Research Organisation explains that these variations are due the composition of minerals on the Moon’s surface.
In simpler terms, a particular area of the Moon that is rich in a certain mineral will reflect sunlight differently than another area that is rich in some other mineral. And so, measuring the variations in the reflected sunlight can give us an insight into the composition of the Moon’s surface.
Combined with the other Chandrayaan-2 experiments — mapping the lunar surface, identifying the elements presence on the lunar surface, among others — these findings will go a long way in enhancing our understanding of the Moon, its origin and how it has evolved over the years.
CHANDRAYAAN-2 MISSION
The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is part of the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission. One of the most high-profile goals of the mission was to land a rover on the Moon, making India only the fourth country in the world to do so.
However, the landing attempt went awry after communication with the Chandrayaan-2 lander Vikram, which housed the six-wheeled lunar rover Pragyaan, was inexplicably lost during the final stages of its lunar descent. Efforts are on to identify what happened went wrong with the lander.
The Chandrayaan-2 mission is a follow-up to the Chandrayaan-1 mission. Chandrayaan-1 consisted of an orbiter and an impact probe that deliberately crashed on the Moon. Chandrayaan-1 created history by identifying the presence of iced water in the Moon’s polar region.
Among the experiments Chandrayaan-2 will perform will be to follow up on that finding — a radar present on the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will aim to estimate the quantity of iced water present in the Moon’s polar regions.
Prasanta Patnaik