1. Our Moon

2. Creation of our Moon: 4.5 Billion years ago, the Earth was still forming and not even solid yet when it was hit with an asteroid about the size of Mars. A huge chunk off the Earth broke, gravity pulled it into a sphere and was pulled into orbit by Earth’s gravity. An asteroid the size of Mars A molten Earth, 4.5 Billion years ago.

3.  At some point in Earth's early history, a rogue planet, larger than Mars, struck the Earth in a great, glancing blow. Instantly, most of the rogue body and a sizable chunk of Earth were vaporized  The cloud rose to above 13,700 miles altitude, where it condensed into innumerable solid particles that orbited the Earth as they aggregated into ever larger moonlets, which eventually combined to form the moon.

4. Surface of the Moon: Dark Side of the Moon: Because the moon rotates at the exact same speed that it revolves, we NEVER see the other side of the moon. There is only one side always facing us. Surface Features Craters- depressions from impacts. Bombardment from meteoroids was mostly 3.5 bya. Rays- lines of ejected materials around craters Rilles- valleys from old lava depressions (lava escaped to surface after impacts Highlands- mountain ranges that surround crater depressions Marias-large dark regions, once believed to be oceans, now known to be old lava pools The moon’s surface has been heavily cratered due to its atmosphere being too thin to protect. (too little gravity) The rocks of the moon are mainly basalt ( a granite-like rock), a very common igneous rock on the Earth. Maria Rilles Highlands Rays Crater

5. Description and Size of the Moon The moon is small with a diameter about 2,160 miles 238,900 miles (384,400 km) from the Earth Its mass is 1/80 of the Earth’s Its gravity is 1/6 of the Earth’s One moon day is 27.3 days Its rotation and orbit about the Earth is synchronized so we only see one side Travels around the Earth at a speed of 2,300 miles an hour Moon’s atmosphere is extremely thin

6. Lunar Phases The moon acts like a large mirror, reflecting the light from Sun, creating lunar phases. New Moon -when the moon is between the Earth and Sun. Therefore the light reflected is on the side of the moon that is not facing us and we do not see the moon. As the moon revolves around us, the amount of sunlight reflected increases. This increase in light is called “waxing”. Full Moon - when the Earth is between the moon and Sun. The moon is fully reflective of the sun. After the full moon, the amount of light reflected decreases, this is called “waning”. “Moonth” or month is the time that it takes for the moon to complete its phases, which is 29.5 days.

8. Apogee- Point when the moon is furthest away from Earth. Perigee- point when the moon is closest to Earth. Eclipses do NOT occur every month because the moon’s orbit is tilted and only aligns occasionally for eclipses to occur.

9. The Earth’s gravity on the moon causes shaking of the lunar surface called moonquakes The moon’s pull on the Earth cause the shift of our tides

10. Spring Tides -larger than usual high and low tides due to the moon and sun being perfectly aligned and pulling equally on our oceans. Occurs during full and new moon phases. Neap Tides- lower than usual high and low tides due to the sun and moon being at a 90° angle and working against each other. Occurs during first and last quarter phases.

11. Eclipses An eclipses is a blocking of sunlight to the Earth. Solar Eclipses- when moon is directly between Earth and Sun. Lunar Eclipse – when the Earth is between the Sun and Moon. Umbra- the darker part of a shadow. Penumbra- the lighter part of a shadow. Average time for an eclipse is 2-3 minutes, 7.5 maximum.

12. Lunar Eclipse  Occurs when the moon passes into the Earth’s shadow or umbra.  Lunar eclipses usually occur about two weeks after a solar eclipse.  Lunar eclipses occur during a full moon and the moon appears a reddish-orange color. The moon appears this color due to the refraction of light off the particles in the Earth’s atmosphere.

13. Solar Eclipse  When the Moon blocks the light from the sun.  The sun is 400 times larger than the moon but the moon is 400 times closer, therefore appears to be about the same size.  The sun’s Corona is exposed.  Occurs during a new moon.  The moon’s shadow falls on the Earth.  Causes momentary darkness on Earth but can only be seen on very small regions of the planet because the moon’s shadow is so small compared to our planet.

14.  The next total solar eclipse is August 21, 2017  The next total lunar eclipse is April 14, 2014  These are the ones we will be able to see occurring.  There will be others but we will not be able to view them from our position on Earth

15. The many moons of our Solar System

16. Lunar Landings : Only 12 people have ever set foot on the Moon. July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 makes first human landing on the moon. Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 all have landed on the moon collecting samples, explored highlands and marias. Now, scientists big exploration is to search to see if the Moon ever had water. Why will Neil Armstrong’s footprints never change on the moon?

17.  Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon.  His footprint will never change because there is only a very thin atmosphere on the moon…no wind or rain  Temperatures range from 243 degrees Fahrenheit to -261 degrees Fahrenheit

18.  In October 2010 NASA announced its LCROSS lunar impact probe mission found up to a billion gallons of water ice in the floor of a permanently- shadowed crater near the moon's south pole.  Enough water was found to fill 1,500 Olympic- size swimming pools, all from one crater.  They also found silver, mercury, carbon monoxide and ammonia  The water could be used for consumption, broken into Hydrogen and Oxygen for fuel, and cooling of machinery