The Kaguya Lunar Atlas: The Moon in High Resolution

In late 2007, the Japanese Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) placed the Kaguya/ Selene spacecraft in orbit around the Moon to probe the Moon’s surface and interior. But unlike previous lunar orbiters, Kaguya carries a high definition television camera (HDTV) sent beyond Earth orbit. Sponsored by the Japanese NHK TV network, the HDTV has amazed both scientists and the public with its magnificent views of the lunar surface. What makes these images so much more engaging than standard vertical view lunar photography is that they are taken looking obliquely along the flight path. Thus, they show the Moon as it would be seen by an astronaut looking through a porthole window while orbiting only 100 km above the lunar surface. This is the view we all would wish to have but are never likely to, except vicariously through the awe-inspiring Kaguya HDTV images. Each page features a HDTV image with a map of the entire Moon on the upper left showing where the image is located. On the upper right is a 100-150 word description. Seeing the Moon is not intended solely for lunar scientists who are striving to work out the mysteries of the Moon’s origin and evolution. Everyone can appreciate the natural beauty and be entranced by the view of the nearby world where humans may one day live.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Background.- Chapter 1: The Kaguya Mission.- Chapter 2: Kaguya's HDTV and Its Imaging.- Chapter 3: Images of Earth and the Kaguya Impact on the Moon.- Chapter 4: The Lunar Surface.- Part II: The Atlas.- Plates 1 to 28.- Plates 29 to 64.- Plates 65 to 100.- Thumbnail Index.- Subject Index.

About the Author :
About the Authors Motomaro Shirao has been a free-lance photographer and science writer since he finished his Master Course in Volcanic Geology at the University of Tokyo in 1980. He has written many articles about the Moon, volcanoes, geology, and geomorphology. His publications include Graphic Natural History of Volcanoes, Geology and Geomorphology of Japan, Basics of the Moon, and Wonderful Landscapes of the World (all written in Japanese). He is a co-investigator of Kaguya's Terrain Camera and HDTV. Charles Wood is a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona and director of the Center for Educational Technologies at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. He is the author of The New Moon – A Personal View, published in 2003; The Lunar 100 Chart in 2004; and has written monthly columns about the Moon since 1999 for Sky & Telescope magazine. He is the originator of the websites Lunar Photo of the Day and The Moon Wiki. He studies the Moon with the latest spacecraft images and with a small telescope in his backyard.

Review :
From the reviews: “Kaguya Lunar Atlas to be a indispensable resource for quick identification of craters as well as a good a `common sense’ check as to what I’m seeing at the eyepiece. … Each image is expertly referenced against a Full Moon map for both nearside and farside … . I would whole-heartedly recommend the Kaguya Lunar Atlas to anyone who is an avid moon watcher, space fan, or would love to see the surface of an alien world as it truly looks, up close and personal.” (Astro Guyz, May, 2011) “Launched on 14 September 2007, the Japanese lunar orbiter Kaguya carried various instruments including an HDTV camera, the images from which form the basis of this great book. The collection is stunning in the amount of close detail it displays. Many wonderful `face-on’ lunar images are taken from the Earth and orbiting spacecraft, but what makes the Kaguya images so special is that they are taken with a perspective identical to that of the Apollo astronauts. Highly recommended.” (Steve Richards, Sky at Night Magazine, September, 2011) “The images are spectacular. … The Atlas comprises 100 images of various lunar features, with detailed captions describing what we are seeing and how craters, rilles, pits, domes and mountains formed. … The earlier chapters also look back towards Earth, showing spectacular Earth rises, the phases of Earth and even the Earth eclipsing the Sun and creating a diamond ring effect. … this is strongly recommended as an excellent coffee-table book depicting the Moon at its Majestic best.” (Keith Cooper, Astronomy Now, September, 2011) “SELENE, named after the Greek Moon Goddess but nicknamed Kaguya by the Japanese people after a mythical lunar princess, required a full year to image the lunar surface under optimal conditions. The HDTV camera captured significant surface features, impact craters, maria, rilles, lava flows and geological faults in stunning detail. … the book depict one hundred image plates, each accompanied by a well written, detailed essay of the main features displayed.” (Paul Rumsby, Best Astronomy Books, September, 2011) “Images that form the heart of the present volume. … provide a dramatic astronaut’s-eye view that reveals familiar features in an unfamiliar and novel light. … it does offer a valuable new resource to the armchair explorer of the Moon. … provides a detailed overview of the mission and its scientific aims. … this is a marvellous book. The Kaguya images are spectacular, the authors have provided outstanding explanatory support … . a book that will prove indispensable to any serious student of the Moon.” (Bill Leatherbarrow, The Observatory, Vol. 131 (1225), December, 2011) “To the amateur astronomer with an interest in observing the Moon, the concept is an exciting one, and so the release of The Kaguya Lunar Atlas was greeted with enthusiasm by those with a love of moonlight. … For people interested in learning to understand what they see on the Moon, this book would be a useful reference. The captions combined with the images lift this book above the eye candy category and make it a reference worth owning.” (Thomas Watson, Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews, January, 2012)