Optics of the Moon

Written by Yuriy Shkuratov, Gorden Videen, and Vadym Kaydash, Optics of the Moon, 1st Edition, presents modern methods for interpreting optical signals from complex surface structures. The text examines fundamental observational phenomena, explaining why the Moon appears as a flat disk at full moon while presenting a spherical appearance at large phase angles.

A key focus rests on phase-ratio techniques and their practical execution in lunar remote sensing. The authors show how these optical methods lead to the detection of subtle surface structure anomalies across regolith formations. The volume links observational lunar photometry directly with light scattering theoretical modeling to interpret planetary surface properties.

This 2025 volume from Elsevier offers a 926-page technical reference tailored for graduate students and active researchers in planetary science, lunar astronomy, and remote sensing seeking to interpret light scattering data from regolith surfaces.