1. MOON

2. What is Moon? A natural satellite
The most prominent feature in the sky
One of more than 96 moons in our Solar System
The only moon of the planet Earth

3. CHARACTERISTICS

4. Table 17.1 FACTS ABOUT THE MOON
Mean distance from the earth’s center
238, 900 miles
(384, 000 km)
Maximum distance from the earth’s center (apogee)
252, 000 mi (406, 000 km)
Minimum distance from the Earth’s center (perigee)
226, 000 mi (363, 000 km)
Diameter (about ¼ of the Earth’s)
2, 160 miles (3, 476 km)
Sidereal month (time to orbit Earth)
days
Synodic month (days between new moons)
days
Rotation on axis
One every sidereal month
Gravity
About 1/6 of earth’s
Temperature range at surface
243°F to 215°F

5. The moon moves about the Earth at an average distance of 238, 857 miles and an average speed of about km/hr

6. Does the moon has its own light ?

7. The percentage of light reflected by the moon is known as its ALBEDO.

8. The moon reflects into space only 7% of the light that falls on it.
The earth’s surface is a much better reflector. The albedo of the earth is measured to be 33, which means the earth reflects 33 % of the sunlight that falls on it.

9. Albedo of the Earth

10. During midday on the moon, when the sun is directly overhead, the temperature is 100°c.
During midnight, this temperature drops to about -116°c

11. STRUCTURE OF THE MOON

12. The moon has dark regions which ancien observers believed as oceans.
This gave rise to the Latin name “mare” or sea.

13. STRUCTURES SEEN ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON

14. CRATERS

15. BAILLY
The largest distinct crater, about 295 km (about 183mi) wide and 13, 000 ft deep

16. MARE IMBRIUM
The largest mare or sea which is about 1200 km wide.

17. DOES THE MOON HAVE AN ATMOSPHERE?

18. PHASES OF THE MOON

19. TIDES SPRING TIDES when the range of the tide is largest NEAP TIDES
when the range is smallest

20. The tides are due mainly to the moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans.

22. THEORIES ON THE ORIGIN OF THE MOON

23. FISSION THEORY

24. BINARY ACCRETION THEORY

25. THE CAPTURE THEORY