The Moon

A look at our nearest neighbor in Space!

The Moon

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What is the Moon?

• A natural satellite• One of more than 96 moons in

our Solar System• The only moon of the planet

Earth

Location, location, location!

• About 384,000 km (240,000 miles) from Earth

• 3,468 km (2,155 miles) in diameter (about ¼ the size of Earth)

4

• About 384,000 km (240,000 miles)

from Earth

360,000 km 406,000 km 224,000 miles 252,000

miles

Orbits (revolves around) Earth

every 27.3 days

Elliptical orbit (not a perfect circle)

Earth

Moon

MoonPlane of earth’s orbit

Plane of lunar orbit

The Moon orbits the Earth at a 5o angle with respect to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

The Earth-Moon System

• Apogee- point at which the Moon is farthest from Earth

• Perigee- point at which the Moon is closest to Earth

Birth of the Moon

• “Born” 4-5 billion years ago

• Formed from impact of Mars-sized “planetesimal” on Earth

• Debris from both objects melted together to form the Moon

Space Exploration

• 1957- the Soviet Union launches, Sputnik, the first artificial satellite

• 1958- the U.S. launched its first, Explorer 1

• Thousands now orbit the Earth

Exploring the Moon

• Neil Armstrong First man on the Moon – July 20, 1969

• Six Apollo missions (1969-1972)– 382 kg (842 lbs) rocks

• 12 Americans have walked on the moon

Movements of the Moon

• Revolution: the Moon orbits the Earth every 27.3 days

• Rotation – Moon turns on its axis every 27.3 days

• We always see the same side of the Moon because its period of rotation equals its revolution!

• This is called synchronous rotation.

Movements of the Moon

• The moon rises in the east and sets in the west

• The moon rises and sets 50 minutes later each day

Cut to the Core• 3 major divisions

of the Lunar interior

• Crust - average thickness of about 70 kilometers

• Mantle• Core - radius is

between 300 and 425 kilometers

The Moon’s Surface

• No atmosphere• No liquid water• Extreme

temperatures– Daytime = 130C

(265°F)

– Nighttime = -190C (-310 F)

• 1/6 Earth’s gravity

• Mountains up to 7500 m (25,000 ft) tall

• Ridges- long, narrow elevations of rock that crisscross the moon’s surface.

Highlands

The Lunar Surface

Highlands

The Lunar SurfaceMaria

• Originally thought to be seas by early astronomers like Galileo and he named them for their “sea”-like appearance

• Darkest areas made chiefly of basalt rock (igneous rock)

• Filled by lava after crash of huge meteors on lunar surface

• Formed 3-4 billion years

Mare

Lunar FeaturesRilles

Long, deep ancient lava channels (trench-like valleys) leftover from the formation of maria

Lunar FeaturesCraters

•Most formed by meteor impact on the Moon

•Some formed by volcanic action inside the Moon

•Young craters characterized by bright streaks, called rays

•Up to 2500 km (1,553 miles) across

Lunar FeaturesRegolith

Fine layer of dust and rock that covers the moon’s surface

Lunar FeaturesRocks

• Mostly made of Basalt (iron and magnesium rich volcanic rock)

• Similar to igneous rocks found in Earth’s crust

• Breccia- contain fragments of other rocks fused together

LimbThe line where the surface of the moon meets the sky.

TerminatorThe imaginary line between the reflected light and shadow.

Maria

Craters

Can you see the rays?

Does this photo show us a limb or terminator line?

Far Side of the Moon• First seen by Luna 3

Russian space probe in 1959

• Surface features different from near side– More craters

– Very few maria

– Thicker crust

It’s Just a Phase

• Moonlight is reflected sunlight

• Half the moon’s surface is always reflecting light

• From Earth we see different amounts of the Moon’s lit surface

• The amount seen is called a “phase”

Illumination of the Moon• Waxing- occurs

when the size of the lighted part of the Moon is increasing

• Waning- occurs when the size of the lighted part of the Moon is decreasing

Waxing and Waning

• New moon

• Waxing Crescent moon

• First Quarter moon

• Waxing Gibbous moon

• Full moon

• Waning Gibbous moon

• Third Quarter moon

• Waning Crescent moon

• New moon

earth

moon orbit`searth

last (third)quarter

gibbous moon

full moon

gibbous moon

first quarter

crescent

new moon

crescent

waning Moon

waxing Moon

SUN

FULL

QUARTER

CRESCENT

GIBBOUS

FOUR MAIN SHAPES

Moon rise times:

• The New Moon always rises at sunrise.

• The first quarter Moon rises at noon.

• The Full Moon rises at sunset.

• The last quarter Moon rises at midnight.

• Moonrise takes place about 50 minutes later each day than the day before.

starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/phases.html

Eclipses

• Eclipses are caused when one celestial body passes through the shadow of another

• The Sun and Moon occasionally line up with the Earth so that an eclipse occurs

Lunar Eclipses• Only occurs when a

there’s a full moon• The Earth passes

between the Sun and the Moon and the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon and darkens it.

• About 2-3 per year• Last up to 4 hours

Lunar Eclipses– Penumbra

A portion of the light source is blocked and an observer in the penumbra experiences a partial lunar eclipse

– Umbra

The light source is completely blocked and an observer in the umbra experiences a total lunar eclipse

Lunar Eclipses

Why is the moon red during a lunar

eclipse?

Lunar Eclipses• Even during a total lunar

eclipse, sunlight is bent around Earth through the atmosphere

• The Moon is visible and appears to have a reddish tint

Lunar Eclipses

Indirect sunlight still manages to reach and illuminate the moon. However, this sunlight

must first pass deep through the Earth's atmosphere which filters out most of the blue colored light. The remaining light is a deep red or orange in color and is much dimmer

than pure white sunlight.

Solar Eclipses• Only happens at new

moon• Moon moves between

Earth and Sun• Moon casts a shadow

on part of the Earth• Total solar eclipses

rare – only once every 360 years from one location!

The Tides• The Moon’s gravity tugs on the

Earth.

– It pulls the most on the part of Earth closest and least on the farthest causing tidal bulges

• High tide –

– Side facing Moon and side away from Moon

• Low tide –

– On sides of Earth

Note: The earth rotates within the tidal bulge

Tidal Patterns

When will we return?

Moon base of the future?

• What would you need to live there?

Name this phase!

Full MoonWhat time does this phase rise and set?

Name these features.

Name these

features.

Craters

Maria

Does this image show us the near side or far side of the moon?

Far SideHow can you tell?

Is this line the limb or terminator?

Is this line the limb or terminator?

Limb

Terminator

Name this phase!

First Quarter

Name this phase!

Waxing Crescent

Does this image show the near side or the far side of the moon?

Near Side

Name this phase!

Waning Gibbous

Name this phase!

Third Quarter

From what direction does the moon rise?

The East

Name this phase!

Waxing Gibbous

Name this phase!

Waning Crescent

What might be happening in this image?

Lunar Eclipse

Is this line the limb or the terminator?

Limb

Name this phase!

Look closely!

Waxing Gibbous

True or False:

The Far Side and the Dark Side of the moon

are the same thing.

False!

Name this phase!

Full Moon

Name this phase!

New Moon

Does the moon rise or set in the west?

It sets in the west.

Name this phase!

Waning Gibbous

Name this phase!

Waning Crescent

Name this phase!

Waning Gibbous

THE END

Photo resources• http://www.nasm.si.edu/apollo/AS15/

a15images.htm• http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/

photogallery-moon.html#apollo• http://clementine.cnes.fr/index.en.html• http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/research/clemen/

clemen.html• http://spaceflightnow.com/news/

n0108/15mooncreate/• http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/

nineplanets/pxmoon.html

More photo resources

• http://www.nrl.navy.mil/clementine/clemovies/clemovies_index.html

• http://www.solarviews.com/eng/moon.htm• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/620649.stm• http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/

eclipses/article_99_1.asp• http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/results/ice/eureka.htm• http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/

solarsystem/moon_nss_020604.html

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