Irene Antonenko (New Views of the Moon), is a planetary scientist working in the remote sensing of the Earth and other planets. She holds undergraduate degrees in geological engineering as well as astronomy and physics. Her post-grad was in geological sciences. Irene is currently a Lecturer at the University of Toronto, Department of Geology. She is Staff Scientist/Consultant with her own consulting firm, the Planetary Institute of Toronto.

Our understanding of the Earth's Moon has changed throughout history as our ability to view and study the Moon has advanced. From observations with the naked eye to telescopes, satellites, and sample return missions, we have been able to study the geology of the Moon in ever more detail. Our current understanding of the Moon reflects data from all levels of lunar observations. Even with the naked eye we can see two major terrains on the Moon: bright highlands and dark lowland (or mare) regions. Galileo, using a simple telescope, found numerous craters on the Moon. The Apollo missions returned samples that allowed the age of lunar events to be determined. Today, studies of satellite data are revealing complex geologic structures and the possibility of water at the poles. We can only imagine what new insights future missions may reveal.