Using the Earth to study the Moon

Last week, the Science Team of the Mini-RF imaging radar experiment aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, met in Flagstaff, Arizona. We were there to conduct field studies of some interesting lunar analogs that occur in this area. Scientists study the planets through a variety of means, including images, remote-sensing, and sample return. One technique involves studying the processes and deposits of the Earth as a guide or analog to understanding similar features on the Moon and other bodies. Analogs have been studied since the beginning of the space program and have been essential to unraveling the complex histories of rocky objects in the Solar System.
The team gathered early Wednesday morning north of Flagstaff. Our field guides pictured the three areas we would spend the day visiting, along with geologically similar features found on the Moon. Our technique used airborne radar images of our targets: The SP cone and lava flow, Sunset Crater National Monument and Meteor Crater. Each site offers specific features that one can observe and walk across, using it as a guide toward understanding the same processes that have shaped our Moon. Our field trip illuminated the radar data in a “real world” environment, assisting ...