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Our Moon & Moon Our Moon & Moon ExplorationExplorationAstronomy 1
VocabularyVocabularyNew moonWaxing phaseFull MoonWaning phaseSolar eclipseLunar eclipseTides
CratersMariasHighlands
Moon FactsMoon FactsThere is no air, liquid
water or atmosphereTemperatures range
from 100°C to -170°CThere is little gravity
compared to the Earth
3,476 km in diameter (little less than the distance across the United States)
Origin of the MoonOrigin of the Moon Before the first manned
explorations of the moon there were several theories on the origin of the moon
1st: the moon was another smaller plane that was captured by Earth’s gravity
2nd: the moon was created by loose, left over material from when the Earth was forming
3rd: the moon was created by molten (liquid rock) material ejected from the Earth when the Earth was forming
Origin of the MoonOrigin of the Moon After the first mission
scientists gather data that led them to create the Impact Theory
The Impact Theory is just as it sounds – in the early development of the solar system there were a lot of collisions and explosions between all the debris
It is believed that at one time the Earth was much larger than it is now and was hit by a Mars-sized planet, causing a chunk to break off, creating the moon
Origin of the MoonOrigin of the Moon Over time both the
Earth and the moon were smoothed out to create the spheres we see today
They developed this theory because the lunar rocks that were gathered on the Apollo missions were no different than rocks you can find in the parking lot
Many of the hits the moon took as it formed can still be seen today – why?
Motions of the MoonMotions of the Moon The moon would be
considered a satellite because it revolves around the Earth
It takes approximately 27.3 days to make a complete trip around the Earth
The moon takes approximately 27.3 days to rotate on its axis
What does this mean? This also means that we
only see one side of the moon
Phases of the MoonPhases of the Moon The moon it self does
not give off any light – the only reason that we see the moon is because the light from the sun is reflecting off it
The different shapes of the moon you see at night are because the moon goes through phases as it revolves around the Earth and the sun is hitting it at different angles
Phases of the MoonPhases of the MoonWhat causes the
phases? The change in position of the moon relative to the sun and Earth is what causes the phases.
As the moon travels around the Earth, the sun hits different angles of the moon ◦ For example, if the moon is
angled towards Earth so only half is showing, then the sun will only hit the half we see
Phases of the MoonPhases of the Moon New moon: the lighted
sided of the moon is facing the sun, not Earth, and as a result the moon cannot be seen from Earth
Waxing phase: occurs after the new moon; the moon slowly begins to reappear in the sky, until it reaches a full moon◦ The Waxing Crescent is
when only a sliver of the moon is visible – occurs just after the new moon
◦ When one half of the moon is lit (1/4 of the total moon surface), the phase is called First Quarter
◦ When more than one half of the moon is lit (1/2 of the total moon surface), the phase is called Waxing Gibbous
Phases of the MoonPhases of the Moon Full Moon: the entire moon
is lit by the sun Waning Phase: occurs after
the full moon; slowly begins to disappear in the sky, until it reaches the New Moon◦ When more than one half
(1/2 of the surface) of the moon is showing, it is called the Waning Gibbous
◦ When one half (1/4 of surface) of the moon is showing, it is called the Third Quarter
◦ The Waning Crescent is when only a sliver of the moon is showing – just before the new moon
EclipsesEclipsesWhen the moon’s
shadow hits the Earth or the Earth’s shadow hits the moon an eclipse occurs
There are two types: a lunar and a solar
During a New Moon the moon is directly between the Earth and the sun – this occurs approximately once a month
EclipsesEclipsesSolar eclipses are
much more rare because only a few occur in a person’s lifetime
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth – as a result you see a dark spot on the sun and the sky darkens until the moon, sun and Earth are no longer aligned
EclipsesEclipsesLunar eclipses are
still rare, but not as rare as a solar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon – as a result the full moon will disappear in the sky until the moon, sun and Earth are no longer aligned
TidesTides Tides in the ocean occur
because of the attraction of gravity between the Earth and moon
Like the Earth revolving around the sun in a elliptical shape, the moon revolves around the Earth in an elliptical shape
High tides occur when the moon and Earth are closer together and the attraction is stronger
Low tide occurs when the moon and Earth and farther apart and the gravitational force is weaker
Studying the MoonStudying the Moon At the present time there
are no missions planned to return to the moon
However, there is a spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit to study the moon
This craft is called Clementine
Many pictures of the moon’s surface have been compiled, now the space craft is used to track cold objects that move through space (e.g. satellites, asteroids, war-heads, etc.)
Studying the MoonStudying the MoonClementine has given
scientists almost a complete map of the moon’s surface
A depression has been discovered that is almost 12km deep and 2500km wide – the largest in the solar system
There is also a large plateau that is almost always facing the sun
Studying the MoonStudying the Moon Features used to describe
the moon include: craters, highlands and Marias
Craters found depressions formed from high-speed meteoroids◦ These are evidence that the
moon is geologically dead Dark, flat areas are called
Marias – formed by ancient lava flows
Highlands light-colored areas surrounding the maria
Craters
Maria
Exploring the MoonExploring the Moon1950s to 1960s -
probesNeil Armstrong
First man on the Moon – July 20, 1969
Six Apollo missions (1969-1972)◦ 382 kg (842 lbs)
rocks12 Americans have
walked on the moon
Missions to the MoonMissions to the MoonBetween 1964-1972
over a dozen missions to the moon occurred – both manned and unmanned
Apollo 11 was the first manned mission that actually landed on the moon safely
From this mission we got the quote “One small step for man, one giant leap for man-kind.”
Missions to the MoonMissions to the Moon In later trips to the moon
astronauts were able to stay for days instead of hours, and even had a lunar buggy so they could travel around the moon’s surface
Astronauts also discovered much about the inside of the moon
They found that there are no plates, like on Earth, so the surface does not shift
The core of the moon has cooled almost completely, unlike the core of the Earth so the moon is geologically dead
Ice on the Moon?Ice on the Moon?
1994 – Clementine probe1998 – Lunar Prospector
Ice on the Moon?