Lunar Calibration ROLO (Robotic Lunar Observatory) Active
The USGS Lunar Calibration project hosts a system to use the Moon as a reference light source for sensor radiometric calibration and stability monitoring. This capability was developed for solar reflective wavelengths, primarily to meet the on-orbit calibration needs of remote sensing imaging instruments. However, the lunar calibration technique is applicable to any solar-wavelength sensor that views the Moon.
The exceptional stability of the lunar surface reflectance (better than one part in 108 per year (Kieffer, 1997)) makes the Moon a favorable calibration source -- its apparent brightness is knowable with high precision and absolute accuracy. The current capabilities of lunar calibration include:
- Long-term sensor drift monitoring with sub-percent per year relative accuracy, which meets calibration stability requirements for remote sensing for climate
- Providing a common target for inter-calibration of instruments
- Providing a stable radiometric reference that is valid for any time, enabling back-calibration and offering a strategy for bridging potential gaps in data records
The USGS Lunar Calibration facility provides technical assistance to instrument teams for on-orbit calibration under external funding agreements, primarily with NASA. The documents below explain the methods for utilizing lunar calibration, and give background on the development of the technique.
The advantages of lunar calibration techniques are widely recognized, and views of the Moon are planned for future research and operational satellite missions, including the USGS Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), NASA's NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP - Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, VIIRS), and the U.S. and European geostationary meteorological imagers on GOES-R (Advanced Baseline Imager, ABI) and Meteosat Third Generation (Flexible Combined Imager, FCI). Sensor stability monitoring is particularly important for ocean color measurements. Repeated observations of the Moon, processed with the USGS lunar calibration system, have been used to develop quantitative sensor response characteristics that are incorporated into level-1b data products for SeaWiFS and MODIS.
Contact information
The Lunar Calibration project scientist and PI is Dr. Tom Stone, who is the primary contact for inquiries and interactions with instrument calibration teams. Dr. Hugh Kieffer continues involvement with the project as a consultant on particular tasks.
Tom Stone
US Geological Survey
2255 N. Gemini Dr.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-556-7381
tstone@usgs.gov
Hugh Kieffer
Celestial Reasonings
180 Snowshoe Lane
P.O. Box 1057
Genoa, NV 89411-1057
775-782-0767
775-315-5135 (cell)
hkieffer@charter.net
The USGS Lunar Calibration project hosts a system to use the Moon as a reference light source for sensor radiometric calibration and stability monitoring. This capability was developed for solar reflective wavelengths, primarily to meet the on-orbit calibration needs of remote sensing imaging instruments. However, the lunar calibration technique is applicable to any solar-wavelength sensor that views the Moon.
The exceptional stability of the lunar surface reflectance (better than one part in 108 per year (Kieffer, 1997)) makes the Moon a favorable calibration source -- its apparent brightness is knowable with high precision and absolute accuracy. The current capabilities of lunar calibration include:
- Long-term sensor drift monitoring with sub-percent per year relative accuracy, which meets calibration stability requirements for remote sensing for climate
- Providing a common target for inter-calibration of instruments
- Providing a stable radiometric reference that is valid for any time, enabling back-calibration and offering a strategy for bridging potential gaps in data records
The USGS Lunar Calibration facility provides technical assistance to instrument teams for on-orbit calibration under external funding agreements, primarily with NASA. The documents below explain the methods for utilizing lunar calibration, and give background on the development of the technique.
The advantages of lunar calibration techniques are widely recognized, and views of the Moon are planned for future research and operational satellite missions, including the USGS Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), NASA's NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP - Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, VIIRS), and the U.S. and European geostationary meteorological imagers on GOES-R (Advanced Baseline Imager, ABI) and Meteosat Third Generation (Flexible Combined Imager, FCI). Sensor stability monitoring is particularly important for ocean color measurements. Repeated observations of the Moon, processed with the USGS lunar calibration system, have been used to develop quantitative sensor response characteristics that are incorporated into level-1b data products for SeaWiFS and MODIS.
Contact information
The Lunar Calibration project scientist and PI is Dr. Tom Stone, who is the primary contact for inquiries and interactions with instrument calibration teams. Dr. Hugh Kieffer continues involvement with the project as a consultant on particular tasks.
Tom Stone
US Geological Survey
2255 N. Gemini Dr.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-556-7381
tstone@usgs.gov
Hugh Kieffer
Celestial Reasonings
180 Snowshoe Lane
P.O. Box 1057
Genoa, NV 89411-1057
775-782-0767
775-315-5135 (cell)
hkieffer@charter.net