The Moon Satellite – Any body orbiting a central mass No Atmosphere No temperature regulation Daytime temperature = 400 K (266 F) Nighttime temperature.
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The Moon
Satellite – Any body orbiting a central mass
No Atmosphere
No temperature regulation
Daytime temperature = 400 K (266 F)
Nighttime temperature = 100 K (-280 F)
Moon Facts:
• Moons Period- 29.5 days
• Moons Day- 29.5 days
• Distance- 250,000 miles
• Gravity- 1/6th that of the earth’s. 120 pound weight on the earth would weigh about 20 pounds on the Moon.
Atmosphere of the MoonThe moon has no atmosphere
Not really. About half of the present atmosphere of the Moon is from the exhaust of the Apollo Moon Missions!
Therefore, there is no weather on the moon.
No atmosphere means that wings (airplanes, helicopters, etc.) and parachutes won’t work.
It also means that there is essentially no protection from x-rays and micrometeorites on the Moon’s surface as there is on the earth.
Surface Features
Craters:
Mare - Dark, smooth lava filled regions
Highlands - lighter colored, rough terrain
Mountains - actually crater rims or sections of crater walls
Volcanic features
Mare tend to have circular edges
large impact basins that filled with lava
Areas without mare
Heavily cratered highlands
Impact made basin (bowl shape)
Lava filled basin creating mare
Later impacts occurred
Mare are younger (newer) than highlands
Rille
Faults
Structure of the MoonComposition of the Moon similar to the Earth’s Mantle
Very little metal (iron, nickel), mainly rock
Iron-rich core
Mantle
Crust
Lunar Crust
Near side Far side
Thinner crust on Near Side allows formation of Mare
Gravity of the Moon
The earth’s gravity pulls the moon and keeps it in orbit. (Without its motion, the moon would fall down to the earth. Without the earth’s gravity, the Moon’s motion would cause it to leave the earth.)
Does the Moon’s gravity pull on the earth? Are there any effects that we can see if the Moon does in fact pull on the earth?
Gravity of the Moon – Tides
What are tides, and what causes tides?
Are some tides bigger than others?
Is it in any way related to either the sun or the Moon?
We will try to answer the first question AFTER we answer the other three.
Tides:• Caused by the gravitational interaction
between the Earth and the Moon. The gravitational attraction of the moon causes the oceans to bulge out in the direction and opposite direction of the moon.
Spring Tides:• Spring tides- Strong Tides occur when the
Earth moon and sun align (has nothing to do with the season Spring)
Neap Tides:• Neap tides- Weak tides that occur when the
gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun are perpendicular to one another
Tidal EffectsThe Earth’s pull slowed the rotation of the Moon (Tidally
locked)
The Moon’s pull is slowing the rotation of the Earth
(by about 0.7 seconds/year)
The Earth’s pull in also slowing down the Moon’s orbital
velocity - the Moon is getting further from the Earth by 3.8
cm/year
Far in the future, the Moon will be very far from us, one side
of the Moon will face one side of the Earth
Apollo Mission
6 lunar landings
12 people walked on the Moon (and played golf)
850 pounds of rocks
All near side landings
Lunar Rover
Lunar Rocks
Basalts - found in the mare, volcanic
Anorthosites - highlands, aluminum, calcium, silicates
Breccia - cemented rocks
Origin of the Moon
History of the Moon:
- Impact Theory- 4.5 billion years ago A very large asteroid hit earth with enough force to break a chunk of earth off which was caught in the earths orbit and became the moon.
- Moon has a similar mantle composition as earth
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