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<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">EGUsphere</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>EGUsphere</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">EGUsphere</abbrev-journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="nlm-ta">EGUsphere</abbrev-journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn pub-type="epub"></issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Copernicus Publications</publisher-name>
<publisher-loc>Göttingen, Germany</publisher-loc>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.5194/egusphere-2026-1901</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Morphological and Spectrophotometric exploitation of JANUS LEGA Dataset: Langrenus impact crater characterization and evolution of the highland &quot;isthmus&quot; between Mare Fecunditatis and Mare Tranquillitatis</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Lucchetti</surname>
<given-names>Alice</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7413-3058</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Massironi</surname>
<given-names>Matteo</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7757-8818</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">
<sup>2</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Gwinner</surname>
<given-names>Klaus</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Kenkmann</surname>
<given-names>Thomas</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8127-6812</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Penasa</surname>
<given-names>Luca</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6394-3108</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Baby</surname>
<given-names>Namitha R.</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8032-9137</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Rotzoll</surname>
<given-names>Laura</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Karagoz</surname>
<given-names>Oguzcan</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0656-7396</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Rizos</surname>
<given-names>Juan L.</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9789-1203</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff5">
<sup>5</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Pajola</surname>
<given-names>Maurizio</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3144-1277</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Tosi</surname>
<given-names>Federico</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4002-2434</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Fornasier</surname>
<given-names>Sonia</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7678-3310</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff7">
<sup>7</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Tusberti</surname>
<given-names>Filippo</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9290-1679</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Stephan</surname>
<given-names>Katrin</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1009-0145</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Pozzobon</surname>
<given-names>Riccardo</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff17">
<sup>17</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Suarez-Valencia</surname>
<given-names>Javier E.</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">
<sup>2</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Cagnin</surname>
<given-names>Davide</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">
<sup>2</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Zambon</surname>
<given-names>Francesca</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4190-6592</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Chiarolanza</surname>
<given-names>Gianluca</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6097-0859</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff8">
<sup>8</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Coustenis</surname>
<given-names>Athena</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3414-3491</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff7">
<sup>7</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Giacomini</surname>
<given-names>Lorenza</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7016-0446</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Hauber</surname>
<given-names>Ernst</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1375-304X</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Marchi</surname>
<given-names>Simone</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2548-3291</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff9">
<sup>9</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Matteoni</surname>
<given-names>Pietro</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3086-4574</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Mitri</surname>
<given-names>Giuseppe</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8390-458X</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff8">
<sup>8</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Rossi</surname>
<given-names>Costanza</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5120-8894</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Hueso</surname>
<given-names>Ricardo</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0169-123X</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff10">
<sup>10</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Aboudan</surname>
<given-names>Alessio</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff11">
<sup>11</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Agostini</surname>
<given-names>Livio</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7293-5823</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff5">
<sup>5</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Kersten</surname>
<given-names>Elke</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3818-5165</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Matz</surname>
<given-names>Klaus D.</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Politi</surname>
<given-names>Romolo</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Trauthan</surname>
<given-names>Frank</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Tubiana</surname>
<given-names>Cecilia</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8475-9898</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Aye</surname>
<given-names>Michael</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4088-1928</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Zinzi</surname>
<given-names>Angelo</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff12">
<sup>12</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Evill</surname>
<given-names>Ry</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff13">
<sup>13</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Belgacem</surname>
<given-names>Ines</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8427-4997</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff14">
<sup>14</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Castro-Marin</surname>
<given-names>Jose M.</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9658-8421</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff5">
<sup>5</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Della Corte</surname>
<given-names>Vincenzo</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6461-5803</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff15">
<sup>15</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Hviid</surname>
<given-names>Stubbe</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Roatsch</surname>
<given-names>Thomas</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Schmitz</surname>
<given-names>Nicole</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Lara</surname>
<given-names>Luisa M.</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7184-920X</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff5">
<sup>5</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Patel</surname>
<given-names>Manish R.</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8223-3566</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff16">
<sup>16</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Portyankina</surname>
<given-names>Ganna</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1323-8195</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Palumbo</surname>
<given-names>Pasquale</given-names>
<ext-link>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2323-9228</ext-link>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
</contrib-group><aff id="aff1">
<label>1</label>
<addr-line>INAF-OAPD Astronomical Observatory of Padova, Padova, Italy</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff2">
<label>2</label>
<addr-line>Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff3">
<label>3</label>
<addr-line>German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, Germany</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff4">
<label>4</label>
<addr-line>University of Freie, Germany</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff5">
<label>5</label>
<addr-line>Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia - IAA-CSIC, Granada, Spain</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff6">
<label>6</label>
<addr-line>INAF-IAPS, Rome, Italy</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff7">
<label>7</label>
<addr-line>LIRA, Université Paris Cité, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, CY Cergy Paris  Université, F-92190 MEUDON, France</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff8">
<label>8</label>
<addr-line>University G. d’Annunzio Chieti - Pescara, Italy</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff9">
<label>9</label>
<addr-line>Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff10">
<label>10</label>
<addr-line>UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff11">
<label>11</label>
<addr-line>CISAS G. Colombo, Padova University, Italy</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff12">
<label>12</label>
<addr-line>Italian Space Agency (ASI), Rome, Italy</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff13">
<label>13</label>
<addr-line>ESOC, Germany</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff14">
<label>14</label>
<addr-line>ESTEC, The Netherlands</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff15">
<label>15</label>
<addr-line>INAF-OAC, Napoli, Italy</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff16">
<label>16</label>
<addr-line>School of Physical Sciences, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff17">
<label>17</label>
<addr-line>deceased</addr-line>
</aff>
<pub-date pub-type="epub">
<day>17</day>
<month>04</month>
<year>2026</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>2026</volume>
<fpage>1</fpage>
<lpage>53</lpage>
<permissions>
<copyright-statement>Copyright: &#x000a9; 2026 Alice Lucchetti et al.</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>2026</copyright-year>
<license license-type="open-access">
<license-p>This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit <ext-link ext-link-type="uri"  xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</ext-link></license-p>
</license>
</permissions>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2026/egusphere-2026-1901/">This article is available from https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2026/egusphere-2026-1901/</self-uri>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2026/egusphere-2026-1901/egusphere-2026-1901.pdf">The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2026/egusphere-2026-1901/egusphere-2026-1901.pdf</self-uri>
<abstract>
<p>The European Space Agency&amp;rsquo;s (ESA) JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, launched in April 2023, performed the Lunar-Earth Gravity Assist (LEGA) maneuver in August 2024 as an instrument validation opportunity and science investigation. During this flyby, the Jovis, Amorum ac Natorum Undique Scrutator (JANUS) camera acquired a continuous multispectral imaging strip across the lunar surface, achieving spatial resolutions down to approximately 20 m/pixel. This paper presents a detailed morphological and spectrophotometric characterization of two regions of interest: Langrenus impact crater and the highland &amp;ldquo;isthmus&amp;rdquo; between Mare Fecunditatis and Mare Tranquillitatis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Analysis of Langrenus reveals a structurally complex impact site located at the transition between mare and highland terrains. Spectral unmixing indicates that the crater interior is dominated by mafic components, with minor but spatially coherent olivine-compatible signatures identified within the northern hummocky floor terrain and portions of the crater rim. Although the limited spectral sampling prevents definitive mineralogical discrimination, these mafic signatures may reflect excavation of heterogeneous target materials during impact or redistribution of mare-derived components through post-impact mass wasting and regolith mixing processes. Furthermore, investigations of the highland &amp;ldquo;isthmus&amp;rdquo; bring evidence for distinct generations of volcanic activity. Spectral analysis demonstrates a long-lived, structurally modulated, low-Titanium volcanic system, distinct from large-scale mare volcanism, characterized by small-volume magmatic emplacements that exploited impact-generated fractures for ascent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These results not only provide new insights into lunar geological processes but also serve as a successful end-to-end validation of the JANUS camera&amp;rsquo;s performance in an operational environment, confirming its readiness for the high-resolution characterization of the Galilean moons.</p>
</abstract>
<counts><page-count count="53"/></counts>
</article-meta>
</front>
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