Moon Polarization Imaging in Narrow Spectral Bands

Elyse Duley
Montana State University Solar Physics REU 2024
Adviser: Dr. Joseph Shaw and Erica Venkatesulu

About Me

I am a rising Senior at Vassar College pursuing a double major in Astronomy and Physics and a minor in Mathematics. This summer I was a part of the Solar Physics REU program at Montana State University. I have enjoyed working in an optics lab doing astrophysics related research!

Research Question

How does the lunar polarization versus phase angle curve change as a function of wavelength?

Project Description

DoLP Curve

Polarization is the tendency of electric field lines to oscillate due to factors such as reflections, polarizing matericals, etc. I am working to determine the relationship between lunar phase angle and DoLP as a function of wavelength.

My goal was to take polarized photos of the Moon and see how filters in the visible and near-IR change the degree of polarization and how they vary with phase angle.

Contact Info

Email: eduley22@gmail.com
School Email: eduley@vassar.edu