Cold cathode ionization gauges were left on the lunar surface during Apollo missions 14 and 15 to measure the amount of lunar gas. The observed nighttime concentration is very low, about 200,000 per cu cm, which is less than the neon concentration that might be expected from the solar wind. This suggests that the lunar surface is not saturated with solar wind neon, and hence that less neon is being released from the surface than impinges upon it. The low nighttime concentration shows that contaminant gases from the Apollo operations freeze out at night or become adsorbed on the cold lunar surface. Observed daytime concentrations have been two orders of magnitude greater than the nighttime values and appear to be due mainly to contamination in the landing area. The rate at which the contamination is decreasing is characterized by a time constant of a few months. Gas clouds have been seen at times and these appear to have been released from Apollo hardware left on the lunar surface.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Lunar atmosphere measurements.


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Lunar Science Conference ; 1972 ; Houston, TX


    Publication date :

    1972-01-01


    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English


    Keywords :


    Lunar atmosphere

    Johnson, F. S. | NTRS | 1971


    Lunar atmosphere

    Johnson, F. S. | NTRS | 1971


    THE LUNAR ATMOSPHERE

    Opik, E. J. | NTRS | 1962


    The lunar atmosphere

    Lucas, W. C. / Vaughan, O. H., Jr. | NTRS | 1966


    The Lunar Atmosphere

    W. C. Lucas / O. H. Vaughan | NTIS | 1966