9) Exploration Of The Moon ✅

Question 1

What is the mean thickness of the crust on the Moon?

Answer 1

The mean thickness of the Lunar crust is 50-60 km, which is 3 times that of the Earth’s.

Question 2

How is the Far Side of the Moon different to the Near side?

Answer 2

The thickness in the lunar highlands on the far side can be as large as 160 km whereas, the Near side has lunar maria which is lower land

Question 3

How is the Moon’s core different to the Earth’s?

Answer 3

The radius of the Moon’s core is less than 25% of the Moon’s radius. In comparison, the Earth’s core extends to more than 50% of its radius.

Question 4

Why is the Moon’s core ‘weird’?

Answer 4

The Moon’s core is offset from the centre by about 2 km

Question 5

What spacecraft first took pictures of the Moon’s far side?

Answer 5

The Luna 3 of Russia took the first picture of the Moon’s far side

Question 6

What year did the Luna 3 probe take the pictures of the far side?

Answer 6

1959

Question 7

What were the Apollo missions?

Answer 7

The Apollo missions were a series of US-planned missions which aimed at sending the first man on the Moon

Question 8

What Apollo successfully sent a man on the Moon?

Answer 8

Apollo 11

Question 9

Name four theories regarding the origin of the Moon:

Answer 9

• Giant Impact Hypothesis
• Fission Theory
• Capture Theory
• Co-accretion Theory

Question 10

What is the Giant Impact Hypothesis + What does it suggest?

Answer 10

The Giant Impact Hypothesis suggests that a large astronomical body - astronomers name Theia - stuck the Earth. Theia was vaporised and the debris cooled and condensed to form the Moon. This also suggests why the Earth is at a tilt of 23.5°. It also is supported by the fact the Moon has little volatiles and its small iron core

Question 11

What is the Fission Theory?

Answer 11

The Earth was spinning so rapidly part of it spun off and formed the Moon

Question 12

What is the Capture Theory?

Answer 12

The Capture Theory suggests that the Earth and the Moon were formed in different places in the Solar System, but the Earth caught captured the Moon with its gravitational force

Question 13

What is the Co-Accretion Theory?

Answer 13

The Co-Accretion theory suggests the Earth and the Moon formed at the same time out of material from the Solar Nebula

Question 14

How many astronomers walked on the surface of the Moon?

Answer 14

12

Question 15

What instruments were left on the Moon?

Answer 15

A retro-reflector
A seismometer
A solar wind particle collector

Question 16

What was the last Apollo mission?

Answer 16

Apollo 17

Question 17

How is the Far side of the Moon different to the Near Side?

Answer 17

It has a thicker crust
It contains more craters
Almost devoid maria

Question 18

What is different about the moon’s internal divisions than with the Earths?

Answer 18

Crust
The crust is thick (50-60km). Earths crust ranges from 0-70km.

Mantle
Mantle takes up most of the moon’s volume whereas on Earth it is less.

Outer & Inner core
The core is extremely small (takes up only 25% of vol, on Earth it takes up 50%)

Question 19

What were some of the objectives of the Apollo missions?

Answer 19

• Collection of lunar soil and rocks for analysis and return to Earth
• Deployment of scientific experiments on the lunar surface (Retro-reflectors, passive seismometers etc)

Question 20

What is Earths escape velocity?

Answer 20

7 miles per sec

Question 21

What happens to a rocket if it doesn’t reach Earths escape velocity?

Answer 21

If it fails to reach this speed the rocket will stay well within Earth’s gravity and probably crash

Question 22

What piece of technology can meet the energy requirements which are needed to break Earth’s escape velocity?

Answer 22

Rockets

Question 23

What is this diagram called?

Answer 23

Butterfly diagram