Moon (Inner 5)

Question 1

What is albedo

Answer 1

The amount of light reflected

Question 2

What is the apogee and perigee

Answer 2

Perigee - nearest distance to Earth
Apogee - furthest distance from Earth

Question 3

What are the 4 steps of impact crater formation

Answer 3

1) Body strikes the surface of the moon​
2) It buries itself below the surface​
3) An explosion crater is formed​
4) The rocks in centre rebound

Question 4

What are the features of the far side of the moon and why

Answer 4

Features:​ much more cratered​, no maria​, more mountainous​
Explained by:​ more exposure to comets,​ thicker crust

Question 5

Why is rotation of moon locked to orbit

Answer 5

a gravitational tidal resonance (same side always faces Earth)

Question 6

What is libration

Answer 6

it is possible to see slightly more than half of the surface due to the orbit being elliptical

Question 7

Features of an impact crater

Answer 7

circular with raised rim and central peak where rock rebounded

Question 8

What are maria and how were they created

Answer 8

basins formed by large impacts. large impacts cause fissures in crust and allow lava to flow towards surface

Question 9

What is ejecta

Answer 9

material thrown out of crater

Question 10

What are the 2 layers of the interior of the moon

Answer 10

1) A crust which is thinner on side facing Earth (60 to 100 km deep)​
2)A deep mantle of brittle rock

Question 11

How dense is the moon and what does this rule out

Answer 11

Low density, rules out any iron
core more than a few hundred km in diameter

Question 12

Why doesnt the moon have a liquid metallic core

Answer 12

The moon has cooled rapidly because it is so small

Question 13

does the moon have a dynamo mechanism and a large-scale magnetic field

Answer 13

Nope

Question 14

How do we know that the moon does not have an atmosphere (3 things)

Answer 14

Shadows on it are completely dark.
Stars obscured by Moon’s disk
show no sign of absorption by an
atmosphere.
The gravitational field too weak to
hold gas molecules.

Question 15

what does large impact explain about the moon

Answer 15

Moon has low density
Chemical composition of crust is similar to Earth
Moon is quite dry
Near and far sides have different thicknesses and
composition

Question 16

5 Steps of the large impact theory

Answer 16

1 The Earth was struck by a smaller body, Theia.​

2 The impact was a bit off-centre. ​

3 The impact stripped much of the mantle of the body from its core and removed much of the Earth’s mantle.​

4 Most of the core of the second body and some of the material from both mantles fell back to Earth.​

5 The remainder of the material orbiting Earth coalesced and formed the Moon.