The Moon Flashcards
What is the Moon’s diameter?
3500 km
What is the Moon’s approximate distance from Earth?
380,000 km
What is the moon’s rotational and orbital period?
27.3 days
Why is the far side of the Moon not visible from Earth?
As the rotational period is equal to it’s orbital period, therefore it rotates as it orbits around, showing only one side.
Where is the Tycho Crater?
Large crater at the bottom of the visible side of the moon.
Where is the Sea of Crises?
Dark area on the far right side of the visible side of the Moon.
Where is the Sea of Tranquility?
Large dark area to the left of the Sea of Crises.
Where is the Ocean of Storms?
Dark are of the far left of the visible side of the Moon
Where is the Copernicus crater?
Crater (appears white) to the right of the Ocean of storms near the middle of the visible side of the Moon
Where are the Apennine Mountains?
Mountain range near the centre of the visible side of the Moon.
What are maria?
Dark, flat, large ‘seas’.
What are impact craters?
Circular craters.
What are terrae?
White, rough areas on the Moon.
What are Rilles?
Look like the path of a river down a mountain from a birds eye view - squiggly lines.
What are wrinkle ridges?
Looks like many wrinkles packed together parallel.
Why were Terrae formed?
Planet solidifying.
Why were Maria formed?
Solidified lava plains.
Why were wrinkle ridges and rilles formed?
Wrinkle ridges - due to lava plains solidifying
Rilles - ‘collapsed lava tube’
Why does the moon have a low gravity?
As it has a lack of atmosphere.
What is the purpose of the Apollo space programme?
To land on the Moon.
What happened from Apollo 12 onwards?
The ALSEP’s experimental packages.
What did the ALSEP’s experimental packages involve?
- Measuring lunar distance
- Measuring solar wind
- Presence of micrometeorites
- Minute changes in Lunar gravity
- The structure of the Moon’s interior
- Composition and pressure of lunar atmosphere
What is the likely origin of the Moon?
The giant impact hypothesis.
What is the giant impact hypothesis?
- Young Earth hit by large object - broke off outer layers of Earth
- Gravity forms 2 object - Earth + Moon
What evidence is there for the giant impact hypothesis?
Rock samples from moon:
- Relative abundance of oxygen isotopes is identical to Moon
- lack of volatiles on Moon - high energies during impact vaporised volatiles
- KREEP rich rocks (K (potassium) Rare Earth Elements + Phosphorus found on Moon
