The ultraviolet reflectivity of the moon

Abstract

The ultraviolet flux from the entire lunar disk has been measured in a series of rocket flights from Woomera at several wavelength bands in the range 2400-2900 Å and also at the wavelength of the hydrogen L α line (1216 Å). Comparison of these measurements with other observations shows that between the visible and middle ultraviolet part of the spectrum, the lunar albedo decreases sharply towards shorter wavelengths falling to (0.7 ± 0.1) percent at 2400 Å which is a factor of ten less than the visible albedo. The measured albedo at 1216 Å is (0.3 ± 0.1) percent indicating that the decline in reflectivity with decreasing wavelength is less rapid at far ultraviolet wavelengths than is the decline between visible and middle ultraviolet. © 1974 D. Reidel Publishing Company.