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| Paper: |
A lunar polar infrared observatory |
| Volume: |
34, Robotic Telescopes in the 1990s |
| Page: |
325 |
| Authors: |
Lester, Dan |
| Abstract: |
The prospects for an infrared telescope on a permanently shadowed crater floor at the lunar pole are discussed, and the state of our knowledge about conditions in lunar polar craters is reviewed. The unique thermal environment in such a crater allows the cooling of large telescopes without expendable cryogens. This advantage, as well as other more generic conveniences of a lunar site, suggest that the long-term future for infrared astronomy may be strongly coupled to lunar development. |
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