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Lunar Litter Used to Reveal Moon's Love Number

Posted by timothy on from the which-is-not-in-my-local-calling-area dept.

nickynicky9doors writes: "NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has an article on the Moon's Love number. A planet's Love Number is a measure of ... 'how much a planet's surface and interior move in response to the gravitational pull of nearby bodies.' To measure the Moon's Love Number Laser pulses are directed off discarded retroreflectors leftover from missions thirty years ago."

1 of 6 comments (clear)

  1. not litter! by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 3, Interesting

    These reflectors are neither litter, nor discarded. They were set there quite deliberately, for the exact purpose for which they are being used - precise measurements of distance via laser pulses.

    --
    Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
    You cannot wash away blood with blood