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Astronomy > The moon > Flashcards

The moon Flashcards

1
Q

Waxing

A

Right Side of moon is showing

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2
Q

Waning

A

Left side of moon is showing

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3
Q

Gibbous

A

Big chunk of moon is showing

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4
Q

Crescent

A

Small slice of moon is showing

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5
Q

First Quarter Moon

A

Right quarter is showing

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6
Q

New moon

A

Can’t see moon

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7
Q

Third Quarter Moon

A

Left quarter of moon is showing

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8
Q

What causes phases of the moon?

A

Relative positions of the earth, moon, and sun

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9
Q

Sidereal Period

A

Orbit time to match star positioning, 27.3 days for moon

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10
Q

Synodic Period

A

How long it takes to moon to be by same stars in the same phase, 29.5 days

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11
Q

Umbra

A

Full shadow cast by earth, total darkness

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12
Q

Penumbra

A

Some light from the sun can be seen but most is blocked by earth

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13
Q

Lunar Eclipse occurs when

A

The moon crosses into the umbra of earth, turns blood red since the light in the umbra is from the sunset/sunrise edges

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14
Q

Why is the sky blue?

A

When sunlight reaches earth’s upper atmosphere the blue light scatters from the beam

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15
Q

Sunset and Sunrise Colors

A

The remaining unscattered light, heads towards sides of earth, deficient in blue

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16
Q

Phase of Lunar Eclipse

A

Full Moon, 2-3 eclipses per year

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17
Q

Solar Eclipse

A

When moon casts shadow on earth

18
Q

Phase of Solar Eclipse

A

New Moon, 2-3 per year

19
Q

Why is it hard to see a solar eclipse?

A

Because the moon’s shadow is small and will spend much time over the ocean

20
Q

Why don’t we see solar eclipse every new moon?

A

Moon doesn’t rotate our equator so most times new moon is not blocking sun

21
Q

Annular Eclipse

A

When the moon passes directly between earth and the sun but moon is too far from earth to completely cover the sun, can see ring of sun around moon

22
Q

Density of Moon

A

3.34 g/cm^3

23
Q

Internal composition of moon

A

outside is covered in craters and maria, then crust, mantle, and core, weak magnetic field

24
Q

Lunar Maria

A

Dark planes (spots) formed by volcanic activity, lava filling meteor crater basins

25
Q

Far side of moon

A

very rugged, no large smooth planes

26
Q

Moon’s crust

A

solid rock, 50-60km on near side, 70-100km on far side

27
Q

Moon’s Mantle

A

1000km, mainly solid

28
Q

Moon’s core

A

350-500km in radius, iron and nickel, partially molten, smaller in comparison to earth’s core v. earth’s size

29
Q

How did we find out the interior of the moon?

A

Seismic waves collected by seismographs left by Apollo missions

30
Q

Gravity Recover and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL)

A

Gravitational field analysis, help understand interior of moon, launched in 2011

31
Q

Olivine

A

Mineral found on earth and moon, key component of earth’s upper mantle, in moon’s mantle, gives info about interior and age, geological processes

32
Q

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)

A

2009, designed to map moon’s surface, temp and composition of surface, discovered water deposits near lunar poles, identifies good landing spots

33
Q

Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS)

A

2009, sent ot confirm presence of water ice at shadowed craters, 600,000,000 m^3 of water ice

34
Q

Artemis I

A

used orion space craft, first step towards returning humans to the moon, uncrewed to test pace launch system, 25 days and orbited moon in 2022, heat shield and nav. was good, blocked solar radiation well

35
Q

Artemis II

A

First crewed test flight to moon since Apollo, 4 astronauts to confirm spacecraft works correctly, 10 days

36
Q

Artemis III

A

Landing on the moon, 2025, establishes sustainable presence on moon

37
Q

Origin of the moon options

A

Double Planet theory, fission theory, capture theory, large impact theory

38
Q

Double Planet Theory

A

argues earth and moon formed together as a binary system from the primordial disk of gas and dust that formed the solar system, differences between earth and moon composition don’t support this theory

39
Q

Fission Theory

A

Suggests the moon was part of the earth and spun off due to rapid rotation, discredited due to lack of evidence, also moon doesn’t orbit on the spin plane of earth, but densities are consistent

40
Q

Capture Theory

A

moon formed elsewhere and was later captured by earth’s gravity, unlikely since are compositions are similar, not likely since it can’t slow does without contact or 3rd object

41
Q

Large Impact Theory

A

most widely accepted theory, moon is formed by debris from a glancing blow between earth and a mars sized object (Thea), 4.5 billion years ago, disk of debris formed together to make moon (bits on earth and Thea), moon’s composition is similar to earth’s outer layers (formed from earth), material liquified from intense heat to form a sphere

Astronomy (11 decks)

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