Construction of simulation models of lunar observations

Abstract

© 2018 by IOP Publishing Ltd. The aim of the present paper is to establish optimal parameters for simulation models of the lunar telescope. Modelling of the observations taken from the surface of the Moon is carried out on the basis of dynamic algorithms describing diurnal motion of stars and specifically designed software modules. The first steps in the development of simulation models were made when planning the ILOM (In-Situ Lunar Orientation Measurement) mission which implied the installation of an optical telescope on one of the lunar Poles. The main task of the project was to observe physical libration of the Moon directly from its surface in order to reveal subtle effects related to the characteristics of internal structure of our natural satellite, including the refinement of the Lava elasticity coefficients, tidal dissipation and dissipation at the core-mantle boundary parameters, core's size, ellipticity, and its chemical composition. The results obtained in this work allow for the development of lunar physical libration and dynamics theory in order to apply them in the future lunar observations taken with the automated optical telescope.