
pmid: 20847266
Lunar Reconnaissance The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reached lunar orbit on 23 June 2009. Global data acquired since then now tell us about the impact history of the Moon and the igneous processes that shaped it. Using the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, Head et al. (p. 1504 ; see the cover) provide a new catalog of large lunar craters. In the lunar highlands, large-impact craters have obliterated preexisting craters of similar size, implying that crater counts in this region cannot be used effectively to determine the age of the underlying terrain. Crater counts based on the global data set indicate that the nature of the Moon's impactor population has changed over time. Greenhagen et al. (p. 1507 ) and Glotch et al. (p. 1510 ) analyzed data from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment, which measures emitted thermal radiation and reflected solar radiation at infrared wavelengths. The silicate mineralogy revealed suggests the existence of more complex igneous processes on the Moon than previously assumed.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 191 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 1% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 1% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
