Investigate with the Lab

The Lab is for questions that begin with where and when. It is not necessary to know a PDS product identifier or the internal Study model before starting.

A first investigation has a simple rhythm:

1. Define a place and a reference time.

2. Discover actual LROC observations around that reference.

3. Select an observation to connect location, time, metadata, and browse evidence.

4. Explicitly choose a comparison population and objectives.

5. Export the research state and its source receipts.

The guide explains those operations in user terms. The scientific chapters explain their exact semantics; the programming chapters show how to leave the browser without losing the method.

Choose the right starting point

Your question	Start here
“What was imaged near this place before and after my reference time?”	Your first lunar investigation
“Which before/after pairs involve useful tradeoffs?”	Explore before-and-after comparisons
“What am I actually looking at in this browse image?”	Read orbital evidence without overclaiming
“What does the retained Chang’e 6 record establish?”	Inspect the retained historical Study

• Your first lunar investigation
  • 1. Define the research reference
  • 2. Choose temporal and spatial scope
  • 3. Find actual observations
  • 4. Inspect one object across representations
  • 5. Explore comparisons
  • 6. Carry the investigation forward
  • When something changes or fails
• Explore before-and-after comparisons
  • Define the population deliberately
  • Choose method objectives
  • Read nondominance correctly
  • Separate method from view
  • Exactness and resource limits
  • What the analysis does not establish
• Read orbital evidence without overclaiming
  • Two evidence paths
  • Identity before interpretation
  • Acquisition metadata
  • Display controls
  • Byte integrity is a narrower statement
  • A disciplined inspection sequence
• Inspect the retained historical Study
  • Four scientific reading surfaces
  • Exact links
  • Read the historical population
  • Inspect Standing and Basis
  • Move between historical and exploratory work