All About the Moon

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary reason the Moon cannot support life as we know it?

  • The Moon's surface is too cold.
  • The Moon is too far from the Sun.
  • The Moon has a very thin and weak atmosphere and lacks liquid water. (correct)
  • The Moon does not generate its own light.

Why do astronauts appear to bounce on the Moon's surface?

  • The Moon's atmosphere creates an upward force.
  • Astronauts wear special boots that help them bounce.
  • The Moon's gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's gravity. (correct)
  • The Moon has a solid, rocky surface.

Which of the following best describes the lunar regolith?

  • A dense layer of volcanic rock.
  • A layer of frozen water ice found in craters.
  • A smooth, reflective surface that covers the Moon.
  • A rubble pile of charcoal-gray, powdery dust and rocky debris. (correct)

Why does the same side of the Moon always face Earth?

<p>The Moon's rotation is tidally locked with Earth. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How was water confirmed to exist on the sunlit surface of the Moon?

<p>Using data from NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Moon is believed to have formed as a result of...

<p>A collision between Earth and another celestial body about the size of Mars. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the volcanic activity on the Moon?

<p>The Moon had past active volcanoes that are now dormant. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Considering that the Moon makes Earth a more livable planet, which effect contributes the most?

<p>Moderating Earth's wobble on its axis. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'far side' of the Moon?

<p>The side of the Moon that we don't see from Earth. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the solar system, how does the size of the Moon compare to other moons?

<p>It is the 5th largest moon in the solar system. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate duration of the Moon's orbit around the Earth as observed from Earth?

<p>29 days (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the exosphere?

<p>The thin and weak atmosphere surrounding the moon (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the crater where the water molecule was detected?

<p>Clavius Crater (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Moon reflects light from the sun. Is this reflection constant?

<p>No, the amount reflected changes during the different phases of the Moon (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Earth's Moon named in Latin?

<p>Luna (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the effect of Earth and Moon rotating?

<p>The Moon appears to rotate once every 29 Earth days (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the surface features on the moon caused by?

<p>Impacts by asteroids, meteorites, and comets (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following occurred first?

<p>The moon forming after Earth collided with an object (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The moon's gravity is $\frac{1}{6}$ of the Earth's. What is the difference most noticeable in?

<p>How astronauts move on the moon (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Moon's orbit and rotation are key to life on Earth. Which of the following is affected?

<p>It leads to a relatively stable climate (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

What is the Moon?

The only place beyond Earth where humans have set foot.

Physical characteristics of the Moon?

The 5th largest moon among the 200+ moons orbiting in our solar system. It has a solid, rocky surface with craters and a very thin atmosphere called an exosphere that is not breathable and cannot support life.

Moon's effect on Earth?

The moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate.

How did the Moon form?

Early in the solar system's history after Earth and an object about the size of Mars smashed into each other. The impact sent chunks of Earth and the impactor into space that were pulled together by gravity, creating the Moon.

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Moon's structure?

A core, mantle, and crust. It had active volcanoes long ago, but today they are all dormant.

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What is lunar regolith?

The rubble pile of charcoal-gray, powdery dust, and rocky debris that covers nearly the entire Moon.

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What is the Moon's gravity?

One-sixth of Earth's. It's why astronauts appear to almost bounce across the surface in footage of moonwalks.

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Synchronous rotation

The Moon rotates at the same rate that it revolves around Earth. Meaning the same hemisphere faces Earth all the time.

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What is the 'far side' of the moon?

The side we don't see gets just as much light. So a more accurate name for the side we don't see is actually the 'far side'.

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Moon's orbit around Earth?

The Moon makes a complete orbit around Earth in 27 Earth days and rotates or spins at that same rate, or in that same amount of time. From our perspective, on Earth, the Moon appears to orbit us every 29 days.

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Evidence of water on the Moon?

In October 2020, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) confirmed, for the first time, water on the sunlit surface of the Moon.

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Study Notes

  • Luna, Latin for Moon, is the only place beyond Earth that humans have stepped foot on
  • The Moon ranks as the 5th largest out of over 200 moons in our solar system
  • Its surface is solid and rocky, marked by craters and hollows caused by asteroid, meteorite, and comet impacts
  • The Moon's exosphere is too thin to be breathable
  • The moon does not emit its own light, instead it reflects the light of the sun
  • The Moon is the brightest and largest object in Earth's night sky
  • It helps stabilize Earth’s climate, by moderating its axial wobble

Moon Formation

  • Scientists theorize that the Moon was formed early in the solar system's history
  • This was caused when Earth collided with a Mars-sized object
  • The impact scattered debris from both Earth and the other object into space
  • Gravity then pulled the debris together to form the Moon

Moon Structure

  • The Moon has a core, mantle, and crust
  • The Moon used to have active volcanoes, but are now dormant

Moon Surface

  • Over billions of years, impacts have broken down the Moon’s surface into fragments ranging from large boulders to fine powder
  • The lunar regolith is a layer of charcoal-gray, powdery dust, and rocky debris covering nearly the entire Moon

Moon Gravity

  • The Moon's surface gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's
  • The lower gravity causes moonwalking astronauts to appear as if they are bouncing

Moon Rotation and Orbit

  • The moon is in synchronous rotation where its rotation matches its orbit
  • The same side of the Moon always faces Earth
  • The side of the moon we don't see is called the "far side"
  • The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in 27 Earth days
  • The Moon seems to orbit Earth every 29 days from our viewpoint, after taking into account Earth's rotation around the sun

Water on the Moon

  • In October 2020, NASA's SOFIA confirmed the presence of water on the sunlit surface of the Moon
  • Water molecules (H2O) were found in Clavius Crater, a large crater in the Moon's southern hemisphere
  • The discovery suggests that water may be distributed across the lunar surface, and not only in the shadowed regions

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