Ultraviolet Albedo of the Moon with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

Abstract

During the 1995 March flight of the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope, as part of the Astro-2 Space Shuttle mission, we observed the Moon over the wavelength range 820-1840 {Å}, with a resolution of 3-4 {Å}, finding the ultraviolet albedo of the Moon to be 0.038 \pm 0.0038 at 1700 {Å}. We also find a gentle increase in the albedo toward shorter wavelengths. Ultraviolet albedo measurements may represent a useful tool for selenographic exploration.