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Bound on Lunar Plate Motion
Author(s) -
Shapiro Irwin I.,
Chandler John F.,
Murphy Thomas W.,
Reasenberg Robert D.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9100
pISSN - 2169-9097
DOI - 10.1029/2021je006887
Subject(s) - retroreflector , laser ranging , observatory , geodesy , corner reflector , geology , apollo , relative motion , remote sensing , telescope , motion (physics) , optics , astrobiology , laser , physics , astronomy , zoology , classical mechanics , mechanics , biology
Abstract We analyzed high accuracy time delays of laser signals sent from the Earth to the retroreflector arrays on the Moon in conjunction with several other sets of solar‐system astrometric data. Using especially the lunar laser ranging data obtained from the Apache Point Observatory telescope site in New Mexico and the Apollo 11 and Apollo 14 retroreflectors on the Moon, we have set a bound on their relative motion along the connecting great circle of 4 mm/yr over a 14‐year period.