Opposition effect of the Moon as seen by Clementine

Kaidash, VG, Omel’chenko, VV, Shkuratov, YG
Kinemat. fiz. nebesnyh tel (Online) 2003, 19(2):172-181
Language: Russian
Abstract: 

The image data derived by the UVVIS and NIR Clementine cameras in the spectral range from 415 to 2500 nm were used to study brightness phase curves for a Moon's small equatorial region including mare and highlands areas. It is shown that the region under study does not reveal any dependence of the slope of the phase function curve on albedo for a phase angle < 5°. This contradicts the effect of coherent backscatter enhancement that, as is assumed, should be observed for the lunar surface.

Keywords: Moon