这张令人难以置信的月球表面细节图是从地球上拍摄的

这张令人难以置信的月球表面细节图是从地球上拍摄的

Astronomers have conducted an incredible observational test for a radio telescope on Earth. They used a new radar system to capture glorious high-resolution images of near-Earth space. The target: the Apollo 15 landing site on the Moon.

天文学家对地球上的射电望远镜进行了一项令人难以置信的观测试验。他们使用了一种新的雷达系统来捕捉近地空间的高分辨率图像。目标:阿波罗15号在月球上的着陆点。

The Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia was outfitted with a new custom-built transmitter of radio waves. Back in November, researchers sent signals towards the Moon in a proof-of-concept test. What they got back is an incredible picture. The Hadley region on the Moon's near-side is visible with a resolution of 5 meters (16.4 feet).

西维吉尼亚州的格林班克望远镜配备了一个新的定制无线电波发射器。早在去年11月，研究人员在一项概念验证测试中向月球发送信号。他们得到的是一张令人难以置信的照片。月球近侧的哈德利区域分辨率为5米(16.4英尺)。

In particular, the image shows the Hadley C crater, which is 6 kilometers ( 3.7 miles) across, and the sinuous Hadley Rille, a narrow depression that extends for 130 kilometers (80 miles) with an average width of 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) and a few hundred meters in depth. It is believed to have been an ancient lava tube, which has over billions of years collapsed.

特别要指出的是，这张图片显示了直径6公里(3.7英里)的哈德利C陨石坑，以及蜿蜒的哈德利沟，这是一个狭窄的凹陷，延伸130公里(80英里)，平均宽度1.2公里(0.75英里)，深度几百米。它被认为是一个古老的熔岩管，在数十亿年的时间里坍塌了。

Dr Alfredo Carpineti

The observations have delivered some of the best views of the region ever taken from Earth, a phenomenal achievement for Green Bank Observatory (GBO), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Raytheon Intelligence & Space who conducted the experiment.

这些观测提供了从地球上拍摄到的该地区的一些最佳视角，这是格林班克天文台(GBO)、美国国家射电天文台(NRAO)和进行实验的雷神情报与太空公司的一项非凡成就。

“This project opens a whole new range of capabilities for both NRAO and GBO,” Tony Beasley, director of the NRAO and vice president for Radio Astronomy at Associated Universities, Inc. said in a statement. “We’ve participated before in important radar studies of the Solar System, but turning the GBT into a steerable planetary radar transmitter will greatly expand our ability to pursue intriguing new lines of research.”

“这个项目为NRAO和GBO开启了一个全新的能力范围，”NRAO主任兼联合大学公司射电天文学副总裁Tony Beasley在一份声明中说。“我们以前参与过太阳系的重要雷达研究，但将GBT变成可操纵的行星雷达发射机将极大地扩展我们追求有趣的新研究方向的能力。”

It works by the radar signals emitted by the Green Bank Telescope hitting the surface of whatever object is being studied, in this case, the Apollo 15 landing site on the Moon. They then reflect back and get observed by the telescopes that are part of the Very Long Baseline Array, a network spread from the US Virgin Islands to the continental United States, and all the way to Hawaii.

它的工作原理是通过Green Bank望远镜发射的雷达信号击中任何被研究物体的表面，在这种情况下，是阿波罗15号在月球上的着陆点。然后它们反射回来，被望远镜观察这些望远镜是超长基线阵列的一部分，这个网络从美属维尔京群岛延伸到美国大陆，一直延伸到夏威夷。

The incredible test is the achievement of a two-year effort to create such a radar, but it is also currently just a proof of concept. Researchers see the current transmitter as a stepping stone to design something more powerful. Something that can be used to study far beyond the Moon.

这一令人难以置信的测试是经过两年努力创造出这样一种雷达的成果，但目前它还只是一个概念验证。研究人员将电流发射器视为设计更强大设备的垫脚石。它可以被用来研究月球以外的地方。

“The planned system will be a leap forward in radar science, allowing access to never before seen features of the Solar System from right here on Earth,” explained Karen O’Neil, GBO site director.

“这个计划中的系统将是雷达科学的一个飞跃，可以让我们从地球上看到以前从未见过的太阳系特征，”GBO站点主任凯伦·奥尼尔解释说。

The new transmitter is expected to be capable of capturing and providing detailed observations of small objects passing near Earth as well as the moons orbing other planets in the Solar System. If the finalized plan comes to fruition radar signals could allow us to study objects as far as the orbit of Neptune from Earth.

新的发射机预计能够捕捉并提供对经过地球附近的小型物体以及围绕太阳系其他行星运行的卫星的详细观测。如果最终的计划取得成果，雷达信号可以让我们研究从地球到海王星轨道的物体。