32. Polar
Composites (Darkness/Illumination Maps)
As Clementine flew over the pole every five hours, it began its photographic
mapping pass by imaging the pole. These images are composites, showing
the addition of alternate orbit polar images over the course of one
lunar day (one Earth month). In these composite maps, areas in permanent
darkness are black, while areas of permanent illumination are white;
areas of mixed lighting condition are represented in various shades
of gray. Note that the south polar area has the largest area of permanent
darkness, measuring more than 15,000 square kilometers. The north pole
shows only about 500 square kilometers of darkness. Several areas are
evident that have near-constant Sun illumination. Such zones would
have great value as sites for a permanent lunar outpost.