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    The magnetic field of the Moon is very weak compared to Earth's, and it does not currently have a dipolar magnetic field generated by a core geodynamo. Analysis of lunar rocks indicates the Moon did have a stronger magnetic field 4.25 billion years ago that decreased over time. Alternatively, transient magnetic fields could be generated during large impact events. The largest crustal magnetizations are near antipodes of large impact basins, possibly from expansion of impact-generated plasma clouds in an ambient field. The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft mapped a "mini-magnetosphere" at the Crisium antipode caused by solar wind flowing around an enhanced plasma region.

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    Magnetic Field of the Moon

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    The magnetic field of the Moon is very weak compared to Earth's, and it does not currently have a dipolar magnetic field generated by a core geodynamo. Analysis of lunar rocks indicates the Moon did have a stronger magnetic field 4.25 billion years ago that decreased over time. Alternatively, transient magnetic fields could be generated during large impact events. The largest crustal magnetizations are near antipodes of large impact basins, possibly from expansion of impact-generated plasma clouds in an ambient field. The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft mapped a "mini-magnetosphere" at the Crisium antipode caused by solar wind flowing around an enhanced plasma region.

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    7 views2 pages

    Magnetic Field of The Moon

    Uploaded by

    Aryan Khanna
    The magnetic field of the Moon is very weak compared to Earth's, and it does not currently have a dipolar magnetic field generated by a core geodynamo. Analysis of lunar rocks indicates the Moon did have a stronger magnetic field 4.25 billion years ago that decreased over time. Alternatively, transient magnetic fields could be generated during large impact events. The largest crustal magnetizations are near antipodes of large impact basins, possibly from expansion of impact-generated plasma clouds in an ambient field. The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft mapped a "mini-magnetosphere" at the Crisium antipode caused by solar wind flowing around an enhanced plasma region.

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    Magnetic field of the Moon

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    Total magnetic field strength at the surface of the Moon as derived from the Lunar Prospector electron
    reflectometer experiment.

    The magnetic field of the Moon is very weak in comparison to that of the Earth. Other major
    differences are that the Moon does not currently have a dipolar magnetic field (as would be
    generated by a geodynamo in its core) and the varying magnetization that is present is almost
    entirely crustal in origin. One hypothesis holds that the crustal magnetizations were acquired early in
    lunar history when a geodynamo was still operating. An analysis of magnetized moon rocks brought
    to Earth by Apollo astronauts showed that the Moon must have had a strong (above 110 uT)
    [1]
    magnetic field at least 4.25 billion years ago, which then fell to 20 uT level in the 3.6 - 3.1 billion
    years BP period.[2] The small size of the lunar core, however, is a potential obstacle to promoting that
    hypothesis to the status of theory. Alternatively, it is possible that on an airless body such as the
    Moon, transient magnetic fields could be generated during large impact events. In support of this, it
    has been noted that the largest crustal magnetizations appear to be located near the antipodes of
    the giant impact basins. It has been proposed that such a phenomenon could result from the free
    expansion of an impact-generated plasma cloud around the Moon in the presence of an ambient
    magnetic field.[3] For example, the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft mapped a "mini-magnetosphere" at
    the Crisium antipode on the Moon's far side, using its Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA)
    instrument. The mini-magnetosphere is 360 km across at the surface and is surrounded by a 300-
    km-thick region of enhanced plasma flux that results from the solar wind flowing around the mini-
    magnetosphere.[4]
    There is growing evidence that fine particles of moondust might actually float, ejected from the lunar
    surface by electrostatic repulsion. This could create a temporary nighttime "atmosphere" of dust. The
    moondust atmosphere might also gather itself into a sort of diaphanous wind. Drawn by differences
    in global charge accumulation, floating dust would naturally fly from the strongly negative nightside
    to the weakly negative dayside. This "dust storm" effect would be strongest at the Moon's terminator.
    Much of these details are still speculative, but the Lunar Prospector spacecraft detected changes in
    the lunar nightside voltage during magnetotail crossings, jumping from -200 V to -1000 V. Further
    characterization was done by the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer orbiter in late
    2013.[5][6]
    The plasma sheet is a very dynamic structure, in a constant state of motion, so as the Moon orbits
    through the magnetotail the plasma sheet can sweep across it many times with encounters lasting
    anywhere from minutes to hours or even days.[7]
    In fiction[edit]
    In the Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke, a monolith is found on the Moon near the
    crater Tycho by its unnaturally powerful magnetic field and named Tycho Magnetic Anomaly 1 (TMA-
    1).[8]

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