Lunar Irradiance Model ESA: LIME

This project aimed to determine an improved lunar irradiance model with sub-2% radiometric uncertainty, based on new lunar observations carried out with a lunar photometer operated from the Pico Teide in Tenerife (Spain).

Following instrument characterisation and calibration, the instrument was continuously operated from March 2018 to June 2019 and provided about 150 observations from which a first version of the LIME model was derived.

The model output was compared the original ROLO/GIRO model and to satellite observations of the Moon.

The project was lead by the National Physical Laboratory (UK) in collaboration with the University of Valladolid (Spain) and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) (Belgium).

Please find hereafter: LIME documentation, the link to the Executive Summary of the activity and the document deliverables.

The instrument is currently still operated (planned operation until 2024) and the model will be updated on a yearly basis based on accumulated lunar measurements. 

Update Dec. 2020: 

The LIME model has been updated using new measurements from the lunar photometer gather in 2019 and 2020. Please find the updated LIME coefficients in table 2 of the updated document: D7 - Lunar Irradiance model ATBD (with track change of convenience). The comparison of the LIME model to various models and remote sensing datasets has also been accordingly updated in the document:  D8 - Comparison of the spectral lunar irradiance model to several datasets.

Lunar phometer of ESA operated at the Pico Teide in Tenerife.

The team at Pico Teide where the lunar photometer is operated. From left to right: Africa Barreto (Observatory Izaña), Stefan Adriaensen (VITO), Marc Bouvet (ESA), Alberto Berjón (Universidad Valladolid),  Claire Greenwell (National Physical Laboratory of UK), Sarah Taylor (National Physical Laboratory of UK). Missing but equally important contributors to the project: Carlos Toledano (Universidad Valladolid) and Emma Woolliams (National Physical Laboratory of UK)