1. The Moon

2. Many of the discoveries on the moon were made possible as a result of the Russian-American Space Race

3. The later Apollo missions were dedicated to understanding more about the moon itself and its origin.

4. Go here for a more detailed description of lunar missions. here

5. There are several theories concerning the origin of the moon. The most accepted Impact Theory says that the moon was formed as a result of a Mars-sized meteor crashing into the Earth. origin Impact Theory origin Impact Theory

6. Because the moon has no atmosphere, meteoroids ranging in size from a speck to an object weighing thousands of kilograms have been crashing into the moon for many years.

7. Evidence of these collisions are large craters on the moon’s surface. craters

8. The moon is still being bombarded by micrometeoroids today.

9. Many large boulders and large mountains occupy the surface.

10. Moon/Earth Properties PropertyMoonEarth Mass0.07349 X 10 24 kg5.9736 X 10 24 kg Radius1738.1 km6378.1 km Period of Revolution27.3 days365.26 days Period of Rotation27.3 days24 hours Accel. Due to Gravity (g) 1.6 m/s 2 9.8 m/s 2 Distance from Sun0.386 million km from Earth 149.6 million km

11. You can jump a lot higher on the moon. The gravity is 1/6 th what it is here on Earth! a lot higher a lot higher

12. If the gravity is 1/6 th what it is here on Earth, how high would Magic Johnson jump?

13. Brainteaser: Newton’s second law of motion states that Force (weight) = mass X gravitational acceleration. Does your weight change when going to the moon? Does your mass change when going to the moon?

14. Answer: Weight changes, mass does not!

15. Question: How much would you weigh on the moon? How much would your mass be on the moon?

16. Answer: Consider that the gravity on the moon is 1/6 th what it is here on Earth. Do the math!

17. Lunar Maria: large flat basins

18. Lunar Highlands surround Maria

19. Lunar Rays radiate out from craters

20. Lunar rocks and soil (regolith)

21. Volcanic Basalt (Igneous extrusive rock formed from volcanic eruptions. Similar to rock found in Hawaii)

22. Igneous Intrusive Anorthosite (AKA: Genesis Rock, the original crust of the Moon!)

23. Volcanic Breccia (formed when asteroid impact melts rock and then the rock re-crystallizes)

24. Volcanic Soil (regolith): formed when meteoroids pulverize lunar rocks

25. Moon rocks have been dated to be around the same age as some of the oldest Earth rocks, leading to the idea that the moon is actually a part of the Earth that was broken off by a meteor impact.

26. The Moon’s Motions

27. The Moon takes 27.3 days to go around the Earth. It’s orbit is elliptical and has an average distance of 384,000 km. Perigee = closest to earth Earth Apogee = farthest from earth

28. The moon will rise and set 50 minutes later each day/night. If the moon rises at 9:00 tonight, what time will it rise tomorrow night?

29. PhasesPhases are daily changes in appearance as viewed from earth. The moon is waxing when it is between new and full phase. It is waning when it is between full and new phase. Phases

30. Gibbous is when almost all of the bright side is facing us. Crescent is when only a little sliver of the bright side is facing us.

31. Moon Phases

32. A lunar eclipse is when the Earth comes in between the sun and moon. lunar eclipse lunar eclipse

33. A solar eclipse is when the moon comes in between the Earth and Sun. solar eclipse solar eclipse

34. In an eclipse, umbra is the area of total shadow. Penumbra is the area of partial shadow.

35. Ocean Tides Ocean Tides are the periodic rise and fall of the ocean surface due to the gravitational pulls of the moon and sun. Go here to learn more about tides. here Ocean Tides here

36. Both the moon and sun have an effect on our tides. Which one do you think has the greater effect?

37. If you said the moon, you would be correct! The moon is much less massive than the sun, but it is much closer. The sun’s tide making effect is only about ½ that of the moon.

38. There are 2 types of tides, spring tides and neap tides. Go here for animation. here

39. Spring Tides occur when the sun, earth, and moon are lined up in a straight line. They are the strongest and coincide with the full or new moon.

40. Neap Tides occur when the sun, earth, and moon are at right angles to each other. They are the weakest and coincide with the first quarter or third quarter.

41. Tidal influence is greatest at perigee and weakest at apogee. Perigee = closest to earth Earth Apogee = farthest from earth

42. Tides can vary throughout the day and can depend on the local area. The Bay of Fundy in Canada is a great example. vary