Difference between revisions of "Lunar Atmosphere"
(Public domain info obtained from NASA:) |
(lunar outgassing events.) |
||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
composition. Daytime levels were difficult to measure due to heating and | composition. Daytime levels were difficult to measure due to heating and | ||
outgassing of Apollo surface experiments. | outgassing of Apollo surface experiments. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Although the Moon is relatively inert geologically, the lunar atmosphere continues to replenished by [[lunar outgassing]] events. | ||
[[Category:Mining]] | [[Category:Mining]] | ||
Revision as of 20:36, 30 August 2007
Public domain info obtained from NASA:
Moon Fact Sheet
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html
Lunar Atmosphere Diurnal temperature range: >100 K to <400 K (roughly -250 F to +250 F) Total mass of atmosphere: ~25,000 kg Surface pressure (night): 3 x 10-15 bar (2 x 10-12 torr) Abundance at surface: 2 x 105 particles/cm3
Estimated Composition (particles per cubic cm):
- Helium 4 (4He) - 40,000
- Neon 20 (20Ne) - 40,000
- Hydrogen (H2) - 35,000
- Argon 40 (40Ar) - 30,000
- Neon 22 (22Ne) - 5,000
- Argon 36 (36Ar) - 2,000
- Methane - 1000
- Ammonia - 1000
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - 1000
Trace Oxygen (O+), Aluminum (Al+), Silicon (Si+) Possible Phosphorus (P+), Sodium (Na+), Magnesium (Mg+)
Composition of the tenuous lunar atmosphere is poorly known and variable, these are estimates of the upper limits of the nighttime ambient atmosphere composition. Daytime levels were difficult to measure due to heating and outgassing of Apollo surface experiments.
Although the Moon is relatively inert geologically, the lunar atmosphere continues to replenished by lunar outgassing events.
