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Computational Tools

Online or downloadable computer programs that assist with past and future exploration of the Moon.


This site is designed to provide useful computational tools for the lunar community and students.

Lunar Season Calculator

The Lunar Season Calculator was built to aid mission planning for the next decade of robotic and human exploration by providing easily accessible information on the timing of the lunar seasons. Those seasons affect illumination conditions on the lunar surface, especially at the poles, and, therefore, have important implications for the timing of exploration activities.

Lunar Impact Cratering

This tool allows users to calculate the sizes of impact craters produced on the lunar surface as a function of several independent impact parameters. This is an excellent resource created by Prof. Keith A. Holsapple at the University of Washington. For those who want to explore impact cratering into other types of planetary surfaces, another good tool is Crater Sizes from Explosions or Impacts at the University of Washington.

Lunar Distance Calculator

This tools allows users to calculate the distance between two points on the lunar surface. For example, it can be used to calculate the distance between two lunar landing sites or the distance between a landing site and another location on a geologic traverse.

ImageJ Macros for Mineral False Color Maps

Three programs have been written that automatically create (i) false color mineral maps for silicates and (ii) false color maps for Zr-bearing and phosphate phases. To use these new tools, download the manual and the three macros: Adjust_image.ijm, Mineral_Map.ijm, and Zircon-Phos.ijm. The three macros can be downloaded by right-clicking on them and saving the links to your own computer. Please see the manual for instructions about the folder location where the macros should be saved.

SPICEs Program for Fractional and Equilibrium Crystallization Calculations

This tool allows users to calculate fractional and equilibrium crystallization sequences within the MATLAB programming environment. The MAGFOX component of SPICEs generates models involving Rayleigh fractional crystallization and the MAGPOX component of SPICEs generates models involving equilibrium crystallization. A third component, called FXMOTR, uses a combination of equilibrium and fractional crystallization.

A Beginner’s Guide to Stereo-derived DEM Production and Analysis using ISIS, ASP, and ArcMAP

A brief beginners’ guide to producing and analyzing planetary stereo image-based digital elevation models (DEMs) with USGS Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS), NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP), and ESRI ArcGIS (Geographical Information System).  The procedures were developed for the Moon and Mars, but the basic methods are the same for other planetary surfaces.

Procedure for Processing LRO WAC Monochromatic Images with ISIS 3 for Photogeologic Purposes

Brief instructions for processing Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's monochromatic Wide Angle Camera images with USGS Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS). The workflow includes photometric calibration utilizing Clementine calibration files. The resulting images are suitable for photogeologic research (but not spectro- or photometry). Batch processing scripts for LRO Wide and Narrow Angle Cameras are included.

We would like to provide other computational tools to the lunar exploration community. If you have a computational tool that you think may be of interest to the lunar community or a recommendation for a tool, please contact Dr. David A. Kring.

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