Monday / 3 April 2006
 
Credit: New Scientist
Importance of Moon, Lunar South Pole Featured in Popular Magazine. The April edition of New Scientist magazine focuses on the Moon, with a waxing crescent gracing its cover and 10 pages of articles and graphics featuring Luna. "The Moon is one of the best pieces of real estate for scientific research in the solar system," writes David Chandler, also of the Boston Globe. He covers nearly all aspects of lunar benefits, even explaining how astronomy from the Moon holds benefits over space telescopes, namely in the fields of RFI-free observation and optical interferometry. UC Berkeley Antarctica astronomer Yuki Takahashi is cited saying there is an unobserved low-frequency radio spectrum to be explored from the Moon -- "the last unexplored window in astronomy." Chandler says some NASA scientists are already developing far-side radio interferometry missions. His article also explains the brief history of the NASA Vision for Space Exploration. "Suddenly, years of (lunar) plans, designs and concepts that had seemed doomed became part of the world's biggest space program," he writes. Chandler also covers the radiation hazard and how the International Space Station will be factored into the Moon plans. He doesn't forget the beauty of the Moon, writing, "The view from Malapert Mountain is guaranteed to take your breath away." A one-page 'Where to Site a Lunar Laboratory' graphic focuses on the South Pole, specifically the Aitken Basin, Malapert and Shackleton Crater. New Scientist says the ~5-km-tall Malapert is in constant view of Earth for perfect radio communications and receives sunlight 90% of the time for power.