Distributions of Mean Particle Size and Age on the Lunar Surface

We measure the degree of polarization of the lunar regolith to map the distributions of the age and the particle size. We use a 12cm refracting telescope with a 2k-square pixel color CCD (R band) and a polarization filter. The angular resolution obtained is 3.02 km/pixel. Our goal is to obtain a map of the lunar particle size distribution on the lunar regolith and then that of the age distribution. Polarization of the light scattered by lunar surface contains information on their mean particle size. The mean particle size of the lunar surface has been decreased by continued micro-meteoroid impact over a long period. One can estimate the age of the lunar surface if the mean particle size is known. Particle sizes can be measured through observations of polarization because the mean particle size is related to the maximum polarization and albedo. The age and the particle size of the lunar regolith can give vital information for the future lunar exploration.