The surface of the moon has been mapped with an unprecedented level of accuracy

While studying the Stevns Klint limestone formation in Denmark, scientists developed a method for interpreting shadows in images

for more accurate topography. It is much faster and less labor intensive. The results of the work were published in the journal Planetary and Space Science.

Mapping Landforms on the Moonis of great interest and is of great importance for the creation of future human settlements and resource development. One of the first steps is to map the topography with great detail and resolution. However, the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) provides low-resolution elevation maps compared to the dimensions of detailed geological features.

To improve resolution, scientists have developeda new method for zooming in topographic maps using images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LROC) camera. The scientists used the relationship between topographic gradients and the degree of shading of incoming sunlight. Unlike previously published methods, the new approach is based on a probabilistic linear inverse theory, and its computational efficiency is very high due to its formulation in terms of the Sylvester equation. The method works with multiple images and includes albedo variations.

The surface of the Moon and rocky planets in particularMars is of great interest to researchers of the solar system. In addition, detailed mapping is essential for the safe landing of rovers. For example, if the rover cannot see the surface details, it will easily get stuck in the sand or crash into the rocks. Also, accurate surface topography gives rovers the ability to study interesting geological formations.

The problem is that, until now, methods for analyzing images from orbiting spacecraft have required enormous computing power.

The method of studying shades of shadows existed andearlier, but was computationally inefficient. The new approach uses more direct and accurate calculations and does not depend on a whole set of parameters that are entered into the computer.

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