SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “SHADOW”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2016

Rough Surfaces: Is the Dark Stuff Just Shadow?: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The shadow knows!"

Remote observations of the surfaces of airless planetary objects are fundamental to inferring the physical structure and compositional makeup of the surface material. A number of forward models have been developed to reproduce the photometric behavior of these surfaces, based on specific, assumed structural properties such as macroscopic roughness and associated shadowing. Most work of this type is applied to geometric albedos, which are affected by complicated effects near zero phase angle that represent only a tiny fraction of the net energy reflected by the object. Other applications include parameter fits to resolved portions of some planetary surface as viewed over a range of geometries. The spherical albedo of the entire object (when it can be determined) captures the net energy balance of the particle more robustly than the geometric albedo. In most treatments involving spherical albedos, spherical albedos and particle phase functions are often treated as if they are independent, neglecting the effects of roughness. In this paper we take a different approach. We note that whatever function captures the phase angle dependence of the brightness of a realistic rough, shadowed, flat surface element relative to that of a smooth granular surface of the same material, it is manifested directly in both the integral phase function and the spherical albedo of the object. We suggest that, where broad phase angle coverage is possible, spherical albedos may be easily corrected for the effects of shadowing using observed (or assumed) phase functions, and then modeled more robustly using smooth-surface regolith radiative transfer models without further imposed (forward-modeled) shadowing corrections. Our approach attributes observed "power law" phase functions of various slope (and "linear" ranges of magnitude-vs.-phase angle) to shadowing, as have others, and goes on to suggest that regolith-model-based inferences of composition based on shadow-uncorrected spherical albedos overestimate the amount of absorbing material contained in the regolith.

geometric albedos↗

NASA NTRS1989

The power of shadows - Shadow stereopsis

It is demonstrated that retinal images with no parallax disparity but with different shadows are fused stereoscopically, imparting depth perception to the imaged scene. Shadows are shown to be an important, hitherto undescribed, stereoscopic cue for depth perception.

Puerta, Antonio Medina↗

NASA NTRS2017

The Shadow Knows: Using Shadows to Investigate the Structure of the Pretransitional Disk of HD 100453

We present Gemini Planet Imager polarized intensity imagery of HD 100453 in Y, J, and K1 bands that reveals an inner gap (9-18 au), an outer disk (18-39 au) with two prominent spiral arms, and two azimuthally localized dark features that are also present in Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) total intensity images. Spectral energy distribution fitting further suggests that the radial gap extends to 1 au. The narrow, wedge-like shape of the dark features appears similar to predictions of shadows cast by an inner disk that is misaligned with respect to the outer disk. Using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HOCHUNCK3D, we construct a model of the disk that allows us to determine its physical properties in more detail. From the angular separation of the features, we measure the difference in inclination between the disks (45deg) and their major axes, PA = 140deg east of north for the outer disk, and 100deg for the inner disk. We find an outer-disk inclination of 25deg +/- 10deg from face-on, in broad agreement with the Wagner et al. measurement of 34deg. SPHERE data in J and H bands indicate a reddish disk, which indicates that HD 100453 is evolving into a young debris disk.

Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsea↗

NASA NTRS2004

Variable Shadow Screens for Imaging Optical Devices

Variable shadow screens have been proposed for reducing the apparent brightnesses of very bright light sources relative to other sources within the fields of view of diverse imaging optical devices, including video and film cameras and optical devices for imaging directly into the human eye. In other words, variable shadow screens would increase the effective dynamic ranges of such devices. Traditionally, imaging sensors are protected against excessive brightness by use of dark filters and/or reduction of iris diameters. These traditional means do not increase dynamic range; they reduce the ability to view or image dimmer features of an image because they reduce the brightness of all parts of an image by the same factor. On the other hand, a variable shadow screen would darken only the excessively bright parts of an image. For example, dim objects in a field of view that included the setting Sun or bright headlights could be seen more readily in a picture taken through a variable shadow screen than in a picture of the same scene taken through a dark filter or a narrowed iris. The figure depicts one of many potential variations of the basic concept of the variable shadow screen. The shadow screen would be a normally transparent liquid-crystal matrix placed in front of a focal-plane array of photodetectors in a charge-coupled-device video camera. The shadow screen would be placed far enough from the focal plane so as not to disrupt the focal-plane image to an unacceptable degree, yet close enough so that the out-of-focus shadows cast by the screen would still be effective in darkening the brightest parts of the image. The image detected by the photodetector array itself would be used as feedback to drive the variable shadow screen: The video output of the camera would be processed by suitable analog and/or digital electronic circuitry to generate a negative partial version of the image to be impressed on the shadow screen. The parts of the shadow screen in front of those parts of the image with brightness below a specified threshold would be left transparent; the parts of the shadow screen in front of those parts of the image where the brightness exceeded the threshold would be darkened by an amount that would increase with the excess above the threshold.

Lu, Ed↗

NASA NTRS1995

Analysis of shadowing effects on MIR photovoltaic and solar dynamic power systems

The NASA Lewis Research Center is currently working with RSC-Energia, the Russian Space Agency, and Allied Signal in developing a flight demonstration solar dynamic power system. This type of power system is dependent upon solar flux that is reflected and concentrated into a thermal storage system to provide the thermal energy input to a closed-cycle Brayton heat engine. The solar dynamic unit will be flown on the Russian Mir space station in anticipation of use on the International Space Station Alpha. By the time the power system is launched, the Mir will be a spatially complex configuration which will have, in addition to the three-gimbaled solar dynamic unit, eleven solar array wings that are either fixed or track the Sun along one axis and a variety or repositionable habitation and experiment modules. The proximity of arrays to modules creates a situation which makes it highly probable that there will be varying solar flux due to shadowing on the solar dynamic unit and some of the arrays throughout the orbit. Shadowing causes fluctuations in the power output from the arrays and the solar dynamic power system, thus reducing the energy capabilities of the spacecraft. An assessment of the capabilities of the power system under these conditions is an important part in influencing the design and operations of the spacecraft and predicting its energy performance. This paper describes the results obtained from using the Orbiting Spacecraft Shadowing Analysis Station program that was integrated into the Station Power Analysis for Capability Evaluation (SPACE) electrical power system computer program. OSSA allows one to consider the numerous complex factors for analyzing the shadowing effects on the electrical power system including the variety of spacecraft hardware geometric configurations, yearly and daily orbital variations in the vehicle attitude and orbital maneuvers (for communications coverage, payload pointing requirements and rendezvous/docking with other vehicles). The geometric models of the MIR with a solar dynamic power unit that were used in performing shadowing analyses are described. Also presented in this paper are results for individual orbits for several flight attitude cases which include assessments of the shadowing impacts upon the solar dynamic unit and the solar arrays. These cases depict typical MIR flight attitudes likely to have shadowing impact. Because of the time varying nature of the Mir orientation with respect to the Sun and the lack of knowledge of the precise timing of the attitude changes, strategies must be devised to assess and depict the shadowing impacts on power generation throughout the year. To address this, the best, nominal and worst impacts of shadowing considering a wide possible range of parameter changes for typical mission operation period are shown.

Fincannon, James↗

NASA NTRS2016

Comparison of Areas in Shadow from Imaging and Altimetry in the North Polar Region of Mercury and Implications for Polar Ice Deposits

Earth-based radar observations and results from the MESSENGER mission have provided strong evidence that permanently shadowed regions near Mercury's poles host deposits of water ice. MESSENGER's complete orbital image and topographic datasets enable Mercury's surface to be observed and modeled under an extensive range of illumination conditions. The shadowed regions of Mercury's north polar region from 65 deg N to 90 deg N were mapped by analyzing Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) images and by modeling illumination with Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) topographic data. The two independent methods produced strong agreement in identifying shadowed areas. All large radar-bright deposits, those hosted within impact craters greater than or equal to 6 km in diameter, collocate with regions of shadow identified by both methods. However, only approximately 46% of the persistently shadowed areas determined from images and approximately 43% of the permanently shadowed areas derived from altimetry host radar-bright materials. Some sizable regions of shadow that do not host radar-bright deposits experience thermal conditions similar to those that do. The shadowed craters that lack radar-bright materials show a relation with longitude that is not related to the thermal environment, suggesting that the Earth-based radar observations of these locations may have been limited by viewing geometry, but it is also possible that water ice in these locations is insulated by anomalously thick lag deposits or that these shadowed regions do not host water ice.

MESSENGER↗

NASA NTRS2018

Surface Reconstruction of a Challenging Region with Permanent Shadows on the Moon

As the Earth is orbiting the Sun, there is the region a sunlight can't be reached on the Moon, a satellite of the Earth. Usually, the permanent shadows are located near a pole area and the surface reconstruction in the permanent shadows region is challenging because of the lack of sunlight.In this research, the reconstruction method containing the permanent shadows is suggested. To apply this method, the time-varying shadow region and a permanently shadowed region are needed to be separated. In the time-varying shadow region, the pixel intensity of the image can be composed of the albedo and the reflectance model. Using the light source direction from ISIS3 of USGS, the shape of the region can be extracted from the reflectance model. Though this region is visible in the camera, the change of illumination is quite large in this region, it is hard to reconstruct the shape using stereo-photogrammetry or SfS. So, it is needed of collecting more surface normal information from several pixel level-aligned images. In this process, the albedo information can be initialized and enhanced easily from many images.In the middle of permanent shadows, the high-resolution DEM is generated by LOLA DEM. The LOLA DEM is generated by interpolation between measured data point strips, the actual scene of the permanent shadows. Using the sensor like DIVINER, the Imaginary scene generation via a trained network between the sunlight sensor and other kinds of a sensor is suggested.

Moon, Sunghyun↗

NASA NTRS1987

Scene shadow effects on multispectral response

Spectral responses measured from nonuniform balsam fir canopies with varying amounts and locations of shadows are examined in order to study the effects of scene shadows on spectral response. The behavior of canopy reflectance and spectral band transformations, normalized difference (ND), and greenness for a variety of solar zenith angles and background types are analyzed. The use of vegetation indices for monitoring vegetation is studied in terms of shadowing. It is observed that the red and near-IR reflectance factors decrease as the amount of scene shadows increase; the ND increases with increasing scene shadows; changing shadow amounts have little effect on greenness; and the ND from 'pure' pixels increases as the shadows cast by adjacent vegetation canopies increases.

Ranson, K. Jon↗

NASA NTRS1995

Thermal inertias in the upper millimeters of the Martian surace derived using Phobus' shadow

The first thermal images of Phobos' shadow on the surface of Mars, in addition to simultaneous visible images, were obtained by the Phobus '88 Termoskan instrument. The best observed shadow occurence was on the flanks of Arsia Mons. For this occurence, we combined the observed decrease in visible illumination of the surface with the observed decrease in brightness temperature to calculate thermal inertias of the Martian surface. The most realistic of our three models of eclipse cooling improves upon our preliminary model by including nonisothermal initial conditions and downward atmospheric flux. Most of our derived inertias fall within the range 38 to 59 J/Sq m/S(exp 0.5)K (0.9 to 1.4 10(exp -3)Cal/Sq m/S(exp 0.5)/K), corresponding to dust-sized particles (for a homogeneous surface), consistent with previous theories of Tharsis as a currrent area of dust deposition. Viking infrared thermal mapper (IRTM) inertias are diurnally derived and are sensitive to centimeter depths, whereas the shadow-derived inertias sample the upper tenths of a millimeter of the surface. The shadow-derived inertias are lower than those derived from Viking IRTM measurements (84 to 147), however, uncertainties in both sets of derived inertias make conclusions about layering tenuous. Thus, near-surface millimeter versus centimeter layering may exist in this region, but if it does, it is likely not very significant. Both eclipse and diurnal inertias appear to increase near the eastern end of the shadow occurence. We also analyzed a shadow occurence near the crater Herschel that showed no observed cooling. This analysis was limited by cool morning temperatures and instrument sensitivity, but yielded a lower bound of 80 on eclipse inertias in that region. Based upon our results, we strongly recommend future spacecraft thermal observations of Phobus' shadow, and suggest that they will be most useful if they improve upon Termoskan's geographic and temporal coverage and its accuracy.

Betts, Bruce H.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Thermal inertias in the upper millimeters of the Martian surface derived using Phobos' shadow

The first thermal images of Phobos' shadow on the surface of Mars, in addition to simultaneous visible images, were obtained by the Phobos'88 Termoskan instrument. The best observed shadow occurrence was on the flanks of Arsia Mons. For this occurrence, we combined the observed decrease in visible illumination of the surface with the observed decrease in brightness temperature to calculate thermal inertias of the Martian surface. The most realistic of our three models of eclipse cooling improves upon our preliminary model by including nonisothermal initial conditions and downward atmospheric flux. Most of our derived inertias fall within the range 38 to 59 J/(sq m s(exp 1/2) K), (0.9 to 1.4 x 10(exp -3) cal/(sq cm s(exp 1/2) K)) corresponding to dust-sized particles (for a homogeneous surface), consistent with previous theories of Tharsis as a current area of dust deposition. Viking infrared thermal mapper (IRTM) inertias are diurnally derived and are sensitive to centimeter depths, whereas the shadow-derived inertias sample the upper tenths of a millimeter of the surface. The shadow-derived inertias are lower than those derived from Viking IRTM measurements (84 to 147), however, uncertainties in both sets of derived inertias make conclusions about layering tenuous. Thus, near-surface millimeter versus centimeter layering may exist in this region, but if it does, it is likely not very significant. Both eclipse and diurnal inertias appear to increase near the eastern end of the shadow occurrence. We also analyzed a shadow occurrence near the crater Herschel that showed no observed cooling. This analysis was limited by cool morning temperatures and instrument sensitivity, but yielded a lower bound of 80 on eclipse inertias in that region. Based upon our results, we strongly recommend future spacecraft thermal observations of Phobos' shadow, and suggest that they will be most useful if they improve upon Terinoskan's geographic and temporal coverage and its accuracy.

Betts, Bruce H.↗

NASA NTRS2020

The Spectral Radiance of Indirectly Illuminated Surfaces in Regions of Permanent Shadow on the Moon

Regions of permanent shadow at the lunar poles have been suggested to host water ice and potentially other volatile compounds owing to their extremely low temperatures. Imaging in permanent shadow using indirect lighting from nearby topographic highs illuminated by the Sun has demonstrated the feasibility of optical remote sensing of permanent shadow surfaces, and a near-IR detection of water ice spectral features demonstrates the ability to collect usable spectroscopic data. The infrared emission of the lunar surface is largely in radiative equilibrium, so the temperature of surfaces in permanent shadow is driven by the intensity of the indirect illumination. This means that surfaces at very low temperatures, of high interest owing to their ability to trap and retain volatile compounds, will be the most challenging to measure. We provide estimates of indirect spectral radiance as a function of permanent shadow temperature from 400 nm to 14 μm using empirical data on permanent shadow temperature and broadband visible and near IR radiance, coupled with known reflectance properties of lunar materials. The relationships show there is ample radiance and photon radiance for reflectance imaging and spectroscopy from 400 nm to 8 μm at temperatures of regions of permanent shadow above 60K with appropriately designed instruments. Beyond 8 μm lunar spectral properties reduce the available radiance substantially, making reflectance observations challenging.

P. G. Lucey↗

NASA NTRS1983

Self-shadowing of orbiting trusses

The approach used to assess shadowing reductions on the heating of orbiting trusses involves determining the heating rates with slender member shadowing effects included and then obtaining the thermal response of the shadowed member. Steps taken to identify shadowers, find locations where shadowing occurs and calculate shadow intensity are listed. The finite element thermal structural analysis of cable stiffened space structure is delineated and the exact solution of the caternary problem is given. Typical cable surface heating rates are plotted. The structural analysis includes large deformation (nonlinear), thermal effect, and the pretension effect. Displacements and stresses are computed at different orbital positions for an orbit.

Mahaney, J.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Comparison of ISS Power System Telemetry with Analytically Derived Data for Shadowed Cases

Accurate International Space Station (ISS) power prediction requires the quantification of solar array shadowing. Prior papers have discussed the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) ISS power system tool SPACE (System Power Analysis for Capability Evaluation) and its integrated shadowing algorithms. On-orbit telemetry has become available that permits the correlation of theoretical shadowing predictions with actual data. This paper documents the comparison of a shadowing metric (total solar array current) as derived from SPACE predictions and on-orbit flight telemetry data for representative significant shadowing cases. Images from flight video recordings and the SPACE computer program graphical output are used to illustrate the comparison. The accuracy of the SPACE shadowing capability is demonstrated for the cases examined.

Fincannon, H. James↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Moon’s Shadowed Regions

The Moon poles host large quantities of water-ice deposits in the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), which are vital for enabling sustainable human space exploration, making these regions high-priority targets for upcoming Artemis missions [1]. Unfortunately, today, the best available orbital lunar imagery [2, 3] lacks the meter-scale resolution and signal needed to understand the geomorphology and trafficability of PSRs, complicating the planning and execution of future missions seeking to explore PSRs. We have developed an image enhancement tool called HORUS (Hyper-effective nOise Removal Unet Software) [4, 5], designed to enhance LRO Narrow-Angle Camera (NAC) optical low-light imagery of permanently shadowed regions by effectively removing the CCD-related, photon, and other residual noises that corrupt the images. The tool is composed of two deep learning neural networks trained on environmental metadata and real and synthetic imagery, the latter generated by a physical noise model (LROC). We demonstrated that HORUS effectively produces low-noise, high-resolution images (~1.5m/px), achieving a 5 to 10x improvement over existing long-exposure images of PSRs. HORUS allows scientists and engineers to identify geomorphic features (e.g., craters and boulders) in shadowed regions as small as 3 meters across as well as to peek inside of small shadowed regions, for the first time. The tool was deployed and thoroughly validated for NASA's VIPER mission [6], where it was applied to 20 candidate target regions across the lunar South Pole. Additionally, we conducted different approaches to validate the resulting HORUS-processed images. With HORUS denoised images, VIPER scientists can increase their confidence on what surface features (previously unseen) exist in the shadowed regions, helping them plan rover traverses more safely and efficiently (e.g., Fig. 1) In this manuscript, we will describe how VIPER scientists are utilizing HORUS denoised images to extract new information from the terrain and increase their confidence in what surface features exist in the shadowed regions. In combination with other high-resolution images and digital elevation maps, HORUS images are helping the team analyze potential lading and science sites, as well as planning traverses more safely and efficiently (e.g., Fig. 1). Additionally, we will describe how HORUS tool unlocks a broad range of scientific and exploration applications to other Artemis and CPLS missions to the lunar poles, including (but not limited to) geomorphic analysis, change detection, surface hazard detection, and terrain relative navigation.

artificial intelligence↗

NASA NTRS1972

Brightness of forbidden O I lines and properties of shadow bands during the eclipse of 7 March 1970.

Results of two types of measurements made at a site in the center of the eclipse track during the total eclipse of Mar. 7, 1970. The O I forbidden 5577-A and 6300-A lines were measured looking vertically through the eclipse shadow. The intensities were approximately 1 kR, essentially the values obtained in recent rocket measurements of normal day airglow at altitudes above 100 km. This is consistent with the hypothesis that these lines originate primarily at altitudes well above the shadow from mechanisms which are not appreciably perturbed by the approaching shadow. Measurements were also made of the time variation of intensity of incident light during the shadow-band period before second contact. There are saw-tooth fluctuations with steep leading edges, as well as many high-frequency components of smaller amplitude. This time variation does not appear to be obviously related in a simple way to current theories of their production mechanisms, or to the visual appearance of shadow bands.

Kerr, D. E.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Generating soft shadows with a depth buffer algorithm

Computer-synthesized shadows used to appear with a sharp edge when cast onto a surface. At present the production of more realistic, soft shadows is considered. However, significant costs arise in connection with such a representation. The current investigation is concerned with a pragmatic approach, which combines an existing shadowing method with a popular visible surface rendering technique, called a 'depth buffer', to generate soft shadows resulting from light sources of finite extent. The considered method represents an extension of Crow's (1977) shadow volume algorithm.

Brotman, L. S.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Crater shadowing effects at low sun angles, part Q

A comparison of Apollo 15 lunar surface photographs taken at low sun-elevation angles with photographs of an experimentally cratered surface at low lighting angles is discussed. The comparison revealed marked similarities, the most significant being that the smallest craters in both sets of photographs are filled with shadows that form beadlike chains and clusters. It was also found that the fraction of area covered by shadows within the smaller craters is so large that 30 to 40 percent of the total field of view is covered by shadow. It is concluded that: the fraction of area covered by resolvable craters, which should be somewhat less than the fraction of area covered by shadow for photographs with very low sun elevation angles, may be calculated using the steady state crater frequency distribution for craters from 20 to 100 m in diameter and then adding the area covered by larger craters for which the crater frequency distribution has the form of the crater-production frequency distribution.

Moore, H. J.↗

NASA NTRS1972

The shadow band phenomenon.

Observation of shadow bands during the solar eclipse of Mar. 7, 1970. Data were gathered by recording onto magnetic tape of the output from six collimated photocells whose spectral responses ranged from the ultraviolet to the infrared, and by visual and mechanical measurement of the orientation and motion of the bands. The recorded data were later processed using the output from a frequency spectrum analyzer. Most of the energy of the shadow bands ranges between 1 and 25 Hz, and appears not unlike plots of scintillation spectra. The onset, amplitude, and duration of the shadow bands seem to be spectrally related to the limb darkening of the sun's photosphere. Other results of the experiment conclusively indicate that the shadow band phenomenon is a manifestation of atmospheric turbulence in the form of air packets of different density from that of their environment (density schlieren), made visible by the light from the crescent sun.

Quann, J. J.↗