1. A look at our nearest neighbor in Space!
The Moon
A look at our nearest neighbor in Space!

2. What is the Moon? A natural satellite of Earth
One of more than 176 moons in our Solar System
The only moon of the planet Earth

3. 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. The Moon’s Surface No atmosphere No liquid water Extreme temperatures…
Daytime = 130C (265°F)
Nighttime = -190C (-310 F)
1/6 Earth’s gravity

5. Lunar Features - Highlands
Mountains up to 7500 m (25,000 ft) tall
Rilles (trenchlike valleys)

6. Lunar Features - Craters
Up to 2500 km (1,553 miles) across
Most formed by meteorite impact on the Moon
Some formed by volcanic action inside the Moon

7. Lunar Features - Maria
Originally thought to be “seas” by early astronomers
Darkest parts of lunar landscape
Filled by lava after crash of huge meteorites on lunar surface 3-4 billion years ago
Mostly basalt rock

8. Movements of the Moon The moon moves through space in 2 ways:
Rotation – Moon turns on its axis every 27.3 days
Revolution- The moon revolves around the Earth every 27.3 days

9. THE SAME SIDE OF THE MOON ALWAYS FACES EARTH
One rotation of the moon takes the same amount of time as on revolution of Earth. Because of this constant turning the same side of the moon always faces Earth.
A day on the moon = a year on the moon

10. 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

11. It’s Just a Phase
Moonlight is reflected sunlight- the moon doesn’t produce it’s own light.
Half the moon is always lit by the sun- but, we can’t always see this entire half.
From Earth we see different amounts of the Moon’s lit surface
The amount seen is called a “phase”

12. Moon Phases
There are 8 phases
The moon goes through its whole set of phases with each revolution of around Earth
The moon will appear to change shape as it moves around Earth, but it never actually changes shape.
It moves EAST to WEST in the sky…it rises in the east and sets in the west.

13. FOUR MAIN SHAPES
FULL
Four Basic Shapes
CRESCENT
GIBBOUS
QUARTER

14. WAXING PHASES
During the waxing phases you see more and more of the lighted half of the moon from Earth
The light appears to come from the right side of the moon
Use your book to color new moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, and waxing gibbous

15. WANING PHASES
During the waning phases you see less and less of the lighted half of the moon from Earth
Use your book to color full moon, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter, and waning cresent

17. Lunar Eclipses The Earth is directly between the moon and sun
Lunar eclipses happen during the full moon phase
Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon.
2 or 3 a year

18. Solar Eclipses
Moon moves between Earth and Sun, blocking sunlight from Earth
Moon casts a shadow on part of the Earth
Happen during the new moon phase
Total eclipses rare – only once every 360 years from one location!

19. The Tides Tides are caused by pull of Moon’s gravity on Earth
High tide –
Side facing Moon and side away from Moon
Every 12 hours, 25 ½ minutes
Low tide –
On sides of Earth

20. Exploring the Moon 1950s to 1960s - probes
Neil Armstrong First man on the Moon – July 20, 1969
Six Apollo missions ( )
382 kg (842 lbs) rocks
12 Americans have walked on the moon

23. When will we return?

24. Moon base of the future?
What would you need to live there?