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I.Lunar Exploration “LUNA” is latin for MOON. 1. Until 1950 all moon research was done via telescope and naked eye. 2. “LUNA” mission by USSR provided first spacecraft to fly by and orbit the moon. (* = Important to know) Luna 1 flew by moon Luna 2 crashed into moon Luna 3 orbited moon – 1 st photos of surface close up!
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“ Pioneer” missions by USA occurred around the same time as LUNA. Pioneer 1-3 not successful. - Pioneer 4 flew past moon, gave pictures. “Ranger” missions (USA) sent pictures of landing sites, but crashed on moon. “Surveyor” lunar probes landed and tested regolith hardness. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/surveyor.h tml
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Soviet Luna 9 was the first probe to safely land on the Moon, again, leading the space race. Accomplishments: The spacecraft made the first survivable landing and sent first pictures from the surface of a celestial body, beating America's Surveyor lander by about four months. Luna 9's landing was harder than that of Surveyor, but good enough for its camera and radiation detector to survive and do their jobs. The mission proved that a lander would not sink into a thick layer of dust, as some models predicted.
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3. Mercury & Gemini A. Mercury - First American spacecraft to carry astronaut (room for one only) in space * 1. Alan Shepard – flew his first of nine missions in Mercury 3. John Glenn 2. John Glenn was first to orbit American to orbit Earth in Mercury 6. - Oldest man to go to space!. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Gemini
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B. GEMINI (1965-66) 10 missions 1. Carried 2 astronauts 2. To test weightlessness 3. Train astronauts to control craft http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Gemini
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4. Apollo - First to carry man to the moon Neil Armstrong & E EE Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. were the first men on moon on Apollo 11 (Michael Collins remained on board.) Brought back Regolith samples Left instruments to measure: 1. Moon quakes 2. Magnetic Fields 3. Solar Wind particles 4. Atmospheric gases. http://www.fi.edu/pieces/schu tte/moonpics/apdiagramlaunc h.gif http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.crew.html
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5. Space Shuttle A. Designed to be REUSED. B. Three (3) main units 1. “Orbiter” (Body) 2. External Tank – Feeds fuel to engines for first stage of flight (~10’) 3. Two solid rocket boosters (SRB) for the initial liftoff. C. “RMS” (Remote manipulator system) is a 50’ “arm” for collecting/moving objects in space. …
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6. Properties of the Moon A. Diameter of 3476 Km is ~ ¼ of Earth Largest natural satellite in terms of size compared to its planet. B. Density of 3.3 g/ml – less than Earth at 5.5 g/ml. C. Gravity 1/6 th of Earth. Low escape velocity (1/5 th of Earths). Easier to launch off moon. D. “Moonquakes” measured for 8 years.
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Lunar Maria – Smooth plains with big circular basins. A.Maria rock is similar to that of Hawaiin lava flows = dark basalt rock.
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B. Moon Gravity is GREATER over some MARIA due to more dense rock. 1. MASCON – “Mass Concentration” is the name given to these areas of higher gravity.
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2. Rilles – Long, deep cracks along maria bedrock. Quick cooling of lava or caving in of “tunnel.” Hadley rille
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The gravity on the Moon is about 17% (1/6 th ) of what it is on the Earth. So if you weigh 200 pounds on Earth, you will weigh 34 pounds on the Moon.
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Lunar Highlands – Brighter than maria due to more meteorite erosion. A. Most mountain ranges are at the edge of craters and maria. B. Moon mountains did not form as on Earth No Plate Tectonics on the moon.
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LUNAR CRATERS AND RAYS A. Craters on surface formed by impact of meteorites. 1. Largest – “Clavius” at 240 Km diameter 2. Rims of craters may be 1,000’s of meters above plains. 3. Craters named after Scholars & Scientists.
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RAYS RAYS – Streaks radiating from the craters. Possibly created from rock “splashed out” from meteorite impact that formed the crater.
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Regolith – Lunar “soil” Not really soil due to lack of organic content micrometeorite and water. Loose rock formed from micrometeorite bombardment.
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http://www.nasa.gov/ mission_pages/LRO/n ews/lunar- graben.html Moon NASA clip – Moon expanding?
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MOON ORBIT – Synchronous Rotation means it always faces Earth, rotates same as it orbits. 27.3 days orbit. Moon orbits from WEST to east; yet we see it “rise” in the east due to Earths rotation..
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Apogee – 406,731 Km from Earth Perigee – 364,397 Km from Earth Average Distance ~ 386,000
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Know the phases of the Moon: Waxing crescent to Waning crescent.
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Moon’s orbit is not exactly the same plane as Earth’s orbit around Sun, this accounts for few eclipses. Why don’t we experience a lunar and solar eclipses at each new and full moon respectively?
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Solar eclipse – Moon blocks light to Earth at new moon Umbra – total shadow Penumbra – partial shadow
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Sun’s diameter is ~400 X bigger than moon; yet, Moon is ~400 times closer to Earth, therefore they appear to be the same size, causing nearly perfect eclipses!
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HMK: Page 208 Rev (16-20) & Con. Self-T M/C #1-10 DUE Thursday.
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Solar eclipse time lapse photo
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Moonrise is an APPARENT motion due to Earth rotating. Why does the moon appear to “raise” ~13 o less (eastward) each night?
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Because the Moon orbits us in the SAME direction we rotate.
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Our Moon compared in size to our Earth and Neptune’s Triton.
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Study for the Moon test.
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