The lunar North Pole imaged by KAGUYA's high definition
camera. In the polar regions, no place is permanently sunlit.
Black indicates the regions in permanent shadow.
"Results shows that the maximum illumination rate is 89 percent in the North Pole region, and 86 percent in the South Pole region. In other words, there is no place in permanent sunlight on the Moon. Sunlight will be a critical energy source for a future lunar base, so defining a region with a high illumination rate is very important for choosing possible locations for a lunar base."
camera. In the polar regions, no place is permanently sunlit.
Black indicates the regions in permanent shadow.
"Results shows that the maximum illumination rate is 89 percent in the North Pole region, and 86 percent in the South Pole region. In other words, there is no place in permanent sunlight on the Moon. Sunlight will be a critical energy source for a future lunar base, so defining a region with a high illumination rate is very important for choosing possible locations for a lunar base."
Read the JAXA feature story HERE.
