The Status of Earth-based Radar Astronomical Observations of the Moon in China

Earth-based radar astronomical observations provide information on surface characteristics, orbits, and rotations for a wide variety of solar system objects. Based on compound radio telescopes, in cooperation with the Chinese radar transmitters, we present the current ground radar astronomical observations of the moon. The time delay and spectrum of the reflected radio signals were measured. Radar albedo of the observed region was determined with X band and UHF band, respectively. The power ratios of the reflected signals with left- and right-hand circular polarizations was also determined, allowing us to study the radar reflectivity and near-surface wavelength-scale roughness of the moon. The lunar mapping with QJISR radar confirms the prospect of the Earth-based radar astronomical technique. Future developments on radar astronomy are also discussed in the paper.