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Mascons Kirkwood Gap

Mascons ( Mass Concentrations) are accumulations of mass in the Moon, first detected by spacecraft in orbit around the 60's.

There are many irregularities in the Moon's gravitational field.

was noted that the ships suffered minor deviations in its orbit, and are associated with areas of greater severity.

Several Mascons on the Moon, and many related to the seas. Recent research has been done mapping Mascons of the dark side, and are different from those of the face visible.

The left half is the dark side, the right half of the visible. Mascons are much higher in the face visible. On the other side take the form of ring. Still not explained why this difference.

The first ring-shaped, while those of the visible face are bigger and stronger.

How strong is the effect?

Really big. The Moon is very heterogeneous in terms of surface gravity.

For example, an astronaut on the edge of a plumb Mascon, would that leans toward the Mascon 0.3 degrees. In the same proportion, the Earth would be diverted to varying degrees.

Effect of Mascon on a lunar orbiting spacecraft.

If the astronaut weigh 20 kilos at the edge, to reach the center have increased 100 grams ....

can divert to a satellite lot, and indeed have fallen more for this reason.

A to be the mascons?

apparently are the result of collisions with asteroids, early Solar System (see formation of lunar maria ) that allowed the basalt, but more dense and the gravitational effect that the cortex, is closer to the surface, making these heterogeneities gravitational form.

Mascon Sea of \u200b\u200bSerenity measured by the Lunar Prospector spacecraft. There

Mascons elsewhere, like the Earth (although of different origin) and Mars. Certainly in other solar system bodies will be discovered and others.