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Astronomy > Topic 2- The Moon > Flashcards

Topic 2- The Moon Flashcards

1
Q

What is a sidereal month

A

Is the time the moon orbits the earth as respect to the background stars

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2
Q

How long is a sidereal month

A

27.3 days

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3
Q

What is a synodic month

A

The period between the same phase this is longer as the earth is also orbiting the sun

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4
Q

How long is a synodic month

A

29.5 day

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5
Q

What is the shape of the moon

A

An oblate spheroid

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6
Q

What is the subtended angle of the moon

A

O.5 degrees

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7
Q

What is the mean diameter of the moon

A

3500 km

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8
Q

How much of the moons surface can you see from earth

A

59%

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9
Q

What causes the moons synchronous orbit

A

Gravitational forces slowed the moons period of rotation down until it became tidally locked to it orbital period

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10
Q

How often do the moons phases repeat

A

29.5 days

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11
Q

How many days does it take for the moon to orbit earth once

A

27.3

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12
Q

What is durinal libration

A

Allows us to see more of the moons surface when moon near horizon because observer is seeing it from a higher angle this allows us to see the eastern and western limbs

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13
Q

What limb can be seen at moon rise

A

Eastern limb

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14
Q

What limb can be seen at moon set

A

Western limb

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15
Q

What is latitude libration

A

The equator of moon is tilted from its orbital plane which allows observer to see over northern and southern polar regions

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16
Q

What is longitude libration

A

The moons elliptical orbit and rotations allows us to see more of the eastern and western limbs

17
Q

When the moon becomes bigger what is it called

A

Waxing

18
Q

When moon starts to become smaller what is it called

A

Waning

19
Q

How were craters formed

A

From heavy bombardments of impacts from materials in space, meteorites and comets

20
Q

How were Maria and terrae formed

A

Objects impact moon
Lava then escapes surface
Lave then cools forming basalt
The highlands where left untouched forming terrae

21
Q

How were mountains formed

A

By impacts that released magma under the early lunar surface

22
Q

How were valleys formed

A

By ancient lava flows, collapsed lava tubes or geological faults

23
Q

How do you recognise craters

A

Consists of a raised wall or limb a slope on the inside leads to crater floor which is below outside terrain often have a central peak

24
Q

How do you recognise Maria

A

Dark grey areas

25
Q

How do you recognise terrae

A

Bright areas which are higher than Maria- hilly and mountainous

26
Q

How do you recognise mountains

A

Very high peaks

27
Q

How do you recognise valleys

A

Long depressions on the moon surface can reach up to hundreds of km long but only a few km wide

Astronomy (16 decks)

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