The Moon: welcome to the dark side

1. The Moon: welcome to the dark side

2. OK BRAINIAC-HOW MANY MOONS CAN FIT IN 1 EARTH?

4. Let’s take a look at some photos

5. Earthrise – Apollo 8

7. Apollo 17 Schmitt

8. Copernicus Crater from Hubble 90 km

10. OH NO! IT’S TIME FOR A FEW NOTES FOLLOW ALONG ON YOUR SHEET.

11. The moon is Earth’s natural satellite and not a STAR. • The Moon's gravity is one-sixth of the Earth's gravity. The Moon-key points • The Moon doesn't produce its own light, • but looks bright because it reflects light from the Sun.

12. PART 1: Motions of the Sun-Moon-Earth System • Earth orbits the Sun every 365 ¼ days • Moon orbits Earth every 29 ½ days • The orbit of the Moon around Earth is tilted about 18.5 degrees with repect to the ecliptic plane

13. PART 2: The Face and Phases of the Moon • The phase (how much and which side of the Moon is illuminated) of the Moon changes with about one month period… • The face (the features on the surface of the Moon) does not change at all…

14. New Moon Moon Phases Waxing Crescent First Quater Waxing Gibbous Full Moon Waning Gibbous Last Quater Waning Crescent

15. The Phases of the Moon The phase of the Moon depends on the relative position between the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon…

16. Why do we Always See the Same Side of the Moon? The rotation period of the Moon with respect to the universe is exactlythe same as the rotation period of the Moon around the Earth.

17. Part 3: Interior

18. Moon’s Interior • There may be a small iron core, or a slightly larger iron-enriched rock core. • The interior is likely to be partially differentiated, with a transition zone between the mantle and core.

19. PART 4: Surface Conditions • Temperature range: +250oF to -250oF. +121oC to -157oC • Surface gravity 1/6 of earth • Atmospheric pressure: 3 x 10-12 millibar • How could you tell from the earth that the moon has almost no atmosphere?

20. PART 5: CRATERS

21. Craters – how do they form?

22. Meteorite begins to vaporize on impact

23. It’s the expanding vapor, not the impact, that forms the crater. That’s why cratersare round, even if the meteorite impactsfrom a low angle.

24. Crater rims are raised above the surroundings.Rebound of the rock under the impact can forma central peak. Over time, the crater walls canslump, creating terraces.

26. Some craters have rays, or a blanket ofmaterial thrown out by the impact.

27. When did the cratering happen? • Craters are still being made today, but the rate of cratering today isn’t high enough to account for all the craters on the moon. • In the distant past, the rate of cratering on the moon (and presumably all the other planets & moons) must have been much higher.

28. Part 6: The Moon affects Earth Tides • As the Earth’s turns on its axis, different locations face the moon. • The ocean bulges on the side of the Earth facing the Moon. • Water is more affected by the moon’s gravitational pull.

29. PART 7: MISSIONS TO THE MOON

30. Missions to the Moon • The moon is the most thoroughly studied extra-terrestrial body: • 17 Russian Luna orbiters & landers (1959-1976) • 5 Russian Zond orbiters (1965-70) • Ranger 1-9 (1961-65) took the first grainy photos of the moon’s surface for the US. • Surveyor (5 successful landings, 1966-68) investigated the moon’s surface.

31. Missions to the Moon (2) • 5 US Lunar Orbiter missions (begun in 1964) • 6 manned Apollo missions (1969 to 1972) • 12 men have actually walked on the moon’s surface.

32. Missions to the Moon (3) • Clementine (mapped the moon in 12 different wavelengths from UV to IR over a 71 day period in 1994.) • Lunar Prospector (1998) took photographs of the moon to determine the surface geology.

33. WELL THAT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD • ADD UP THE MISSIONS TO THE MOON • ARE YOU SURE? • 49

34. QUIZ • What does rotation mean? • Rotation is the spinning of the Earth on its axis. • How long does it take for the Earth to rotate one time? • It takes the Earth 24 hours to rotate once on its axis. • What causes day and night? • The rotation of the Earth on its axis causes day and night.

35. QUIZ • Explain why the moon is not a star? • The moon only reflects light it does not produce light of its own. • Explain why the Sun is so important to us?

36. QUIZ • How does the Sun’s position in the sky affect shadows on the ground? • As the sun moves across the sky shadow lengthen and shorten on a stationary object. • Why does the moon appear to be moving across the sky? • The moon appears to be moving across the sky because the Earth is rotating on its axis.

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