[Rockhounds] Moon Rocks still in demand, available, and revealing secrets after 40 years

[Axel Emmermann]

> 
> You're right Axel. I'm a little surprised I could find no references. 
> I wonder if they would loan a moon rock for such a simple test?

One would have to look at samples from all kinds of rock but basically the
lightest colored ones would have the biggest chance of fluorescing.
The pristine environment in which they are kept would enhance our chance of
finding fluorescent ones.
In air we are limited to the 253.7 nm UV lights. Any shorter wavelength
would only produce ozone. In nitrogen atmosphere you could probably shine a
180 nm lamp on the specimens.

> Maybe daylight and black light photos, and SEM analysis of any glowing 
> grains would be enough to get a paper published. At least I assume 
> that is the goal of any loan of the moonrocks.

It would be of minor scientific community and economic interest. But it
would be an unforgettable moment for any glowhound to see a rock from the
Apollo collection light up! In any color or any brightness for that matter
;-))).


> If not, we could always wait for a new moon and a dark night, and 
> shine a big industrial UV laser at it to see if the moon glows.

You'd have to be there to see the glow and the laser would have to be in
orbit around earth.

> But that would be expensive. 

No kidding ;-))

> Maybe we should try to
> mobilize rockhounds around the world to go into their yards some 
> specific evening and shine their black lights on the moon to see if it 
> glows.

Much better... While they're looking up, a loved one can gently pour some
beer into them  to help them steady their aim... Or just for the fun of
it...

> Maybe the Planetary Society could be
> interested in helping, and a viral marketing campaign for the news 
> media to pick up on. Lots of people besides rockhounds have black 
> lights. Could be fun, and a new category in the Guiness Book of 
> Records.

The biggest blackout ever due to invisible light? Hmm...
 
> The Sun puts out a lot of UV light. Wonder if the spectrum of 
> moonlight shows any peaks that might be a contribution from 
> fluorescence?

Good thought experiment... There are no hydrothermal minerals on the moon
and also no metamorphic (except perhaps contact metamorphosis where the
basalt flows ran over the sanidine floor.
Sanidine and feldspars may fluoresce due to iron or REE or replacement of Si
by Ti, Al, etc... 
There's also some zircon and klastic material may hold members of the
sodalite family.

> Moonlight is generally assumed to have the same spectrum as sunlight, 
> but there may be overlooked differences if it were reviewed in fine 
> detail. We might also find some dark spectra where light is absorbed 
> (to be emitted later as fluorescence).

There's probably a lot of emission in the near infrared (drowning in the
heat signal?). I think you can do quite some research from "just" reflected
sunlight.
 
> Would spectra from a total eclipse show any helpful differences from 
> the reduction of UV in earth's atmosphere?

I haven't the foggiest ;-)))
I used to know all that but it has been replaced by other stuff... I think
that the spectra of the sun's disk and corona are quite different but I
wouldn't see how it could help us to make the moon light up. 

> We might be able to find out if moon rocks fluoresce without getting 
> our hands on one. Always good to have a 'Plan B', but I would rather 
> think up a way to get my hands on a moon rock legally.

There's rumor about going to the moon again. Perhaps rocks would get cheaper
then?

Cheers
Axel