Lunar Topography

Abstract

In this lab we are using observations of lunar craters and their shadows to determine

the size and depth of these craters from here on Earth.

Introduction

The purpose of this lab is to use ground based observations of the Moon to calculate

real measurements of the topography of the lunar surface. This will be done by using a

telescope, of which we will have to calculate a plate scale by taking measurements of a

known star field to find a ratio between the angular distance between objects in the sky

and their distance in pixels in the images taken by the telescope, giving a plate scale in

degrees per pixel. We then use that plate scale to find the angular distances of objects

on the lunar surface then apply the small angle formula, which states that linear

distance is equal to the angular distance times the distance to the object, divided by 360

degrees (or 206265 arcseconds), to find distances on the surface in terms of meters.

We can also measure shadows in this same fashion to find the height of objects on the

surface by using trigonometry.

Procedure

The first step in this lab, before using our lunar observations, was to determine the plate

scale of our telescope. This was done by taking an image of a known starfield

surrounding Altair. Using Stellarium we found the stars in our image to find their right
ascension and declination, from which we were able to determine their angular distance

from each other. We then focused on our image we had taken and determined the

distance, in pixels, between the stars. By comparing these two measurements we were

able to compute the plate scale of the telescope in degrees per pixel.

After determining the plate scale of the telescope we took images of the lunar surface.

We then took those images and selected a sample of craters to measure. We then

measured the diameter of the craters, their distances from the terminator, and the

length of the shadow being cast inside the crater, which will be used to find the depth.

Data Analysis

The first step in analyzing the data is to find the plate scale of the telescope. This was

done by taking an image of a group of stars with known locations in the sky. From those

locations we could simply use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the distance

between each star. Then we divided that known distance by the distance in pixels

measured in our image.

Stars Known Angular Observed Pixel Degrees per

Distance Distance Pixel
(degrees)

A to B 0.0463 340 1.36 x 10-4

B to C 0.1042 466 2.22 x 10-4

A to C 0.0826 342.7 2.46 x 10-4

By taking the average of the degrees per pixel calculations, the plate scale was

calculated to be 2 x 10-4.

This plate scale could then be applied to our lunar observations. The first step was to

find the diameter of the crater in kilometers. This was done by first applying the plate

scale to the pixel measurement of the object to acquire a angular distance (

52 pixels 0.0002 degrees/pixel = 0.0104 degrees ). This degree measurement was then

entered into the small angle formula to get a kilometer measurement (

5
(0.0104 degrees)(3.8410 km)
360 degrees
= 11.09 km ). We then wanted to find the height of the crater. In

order to do this, we first had to know the angle at which the Sun struck the crater. To do

this we used a ratio that stated that the angle of the Sun over the distance of the crater

from the terminator (determined in the same way as the diameter of the crater) was

equal to 360 degrees over the diameter of the Sun. This allowed us to find the angle,

which was then equal to the distance to the terminator times 360 degrees, divided by

the circumference of the Moon ( (360 degrees)(17.7

10917 km
km)
= 0.58 degrees ). We could then use that

angle, the length of the craters shadow (calculated, again, in the same way as the

craters diameter), and the trigonometric function of tangent to find the height of the

crater ( (1.066 km)tan(0.58 ) = 0.0108 km (or 10.8 m) ).

 Crater Diameter Diameter Shadow Distance Angle Depth
(in (km) Length From of Sun of
pixels) (km) Terminator Crater
(km) (m)

1 52 11.09 1.066 17.71 0.58 10.8

2 14.8 3.16 1.49 19.5 0.64 16.6

3 20.4 4.35 1.58 4.37 0.144 3.97

4 30.4 6.49 1.54 13.6 0.448 12.0

5 33 7.04 1.54 15.7 0.517 13.9

Error Analysis

There was error in all of the measurements taken, including the length of shadows,

diameter of the craters, and the distances of the stars in the standard star field, which

propagated into the measurements on the lunar surface. There was also error that was

unaccounted for in the data as we took only one measurement of the distance to the

terminator in each case.

Conclusion

The ideal time to take observations for this lab is during a first quarter moon so that the

Sun is low in the moons sky, creating longer shadows that are easy to see and

measure from here on Earth. It was found there was some direct correlation between

diameter and depth of craters, aside from the first two craters, which I noticed even as I

was observing them that they had abnormal shadows. It is also possible that some

inaccuracy came due to the fact that there was error in all of my measurements taken,

including the length of shadows, diameter of the craters, and the distances of the stars
in the standard star field, which propagated into my measurements on the lunar surface