Author: Kaichang Di

State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Optical polarization method is playing an important role in the remote sensing field. Lunar scientific observation has been instrumental in revealing the Moon’s surface features and physical properties, contributing to understanding of its origin and evolution. Optical techniques play a crucial role in lunar observations, with polarization imaging being used to estimate lunar regolith grain size (Dollfus & Titulaer 1971; Shkuratov 1981; Shkuratov & Opanasenko 1992; Jeong et al. 2015) and the refractive index of the lunar regolith (Fearnside et al. 2016). This classical polarimetric method has recently been adopted by the wide-angle polarimetric camera onboard the Korean lunar remote sensing orbiter with the grain size detection being the main scientific objective (Sim et al. 2020). Traditionally, the Umov effect on the Moon has only considered geometric grain size, without accounting for the material heterogeneity of the lunar surface.

The new paper by Wang et al. (2024) has employed advanced focal-plane polarimetric imaging to map the Moon’s surface polarizationfrom ground-based observations, gaining new insights into the Moon’s composition and geological features. The team used micropolarizer arrays to obtain high-resolution polarization data, and calibrated the data through rigorous astronomical standards. The observational resulthas demonstrated a strong correlation between the degree of polarization (DOP) and the FeO abundance of lunar regolith, providing a potential new technique for inversing FeO abundance on the Moon through DOP.

The novel work in the new article underscores the power of polarimetric imaging in uncovering the secrets of the Moon. The implications of this research extend beyond lunar studies, offering potential applications in planetary science and polarization remote sensing.

References：

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Shkuratov, Y., & Opanasenko, N. 1992, Icar, 99, 468

Jeong, M., Kim, S. S., Garrick-Bethell, I., et al. 2015, ApJS, 221, 16

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Sim, C. K., Kim, S. S., Jeong, M., Choi, et al. 2020, PASP, 132, 015004

Wang, W. N., Ping, J. S., Wang, M. Y., et al. 2024, RAA, 24, 061001