THE MOON
Any object, or satellites, which orbits a planet is called a moon. Our Moon circles Earth once a month and is Earth’s nearest neighbour in space. We can see it clearly through telescope, and astronauts have explored it on foot. It is a small body – about a quarter the diameter of Earth. It has no atmosphere, no weather and no life.
How did the Moon form?
Most astronomers think that the Moon formed after another large body smashed into Earth thousand of millions of years ago. Material from Earth and the other body were flung into space. In time, this material came together to form the Moon. This explains why Moon rocks are different from rocks on Earth.
When did astronauts land on the Moon?
The first astronauts landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. They were Edwin Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, the crew of the lunar landing module of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Armstrong was the first person to stand on the Moon. There are five more lunar landings – one more in 1969, two in 1971, and two in 1972.
What made the Moon’s craters?
The surface of the Moon is covered with many thousands of pits, or craters. They have been made by meteorites raining down from outer space. Most large craters have stepped, or terraced, walls and mountain peaks in the middle. The largest craters are more than 200 kilometres across. Some young craters have bright streaks , or rays, coming from them, while only the tips of some old ‘ghost’ craters can be seen.
Where are the Moon’s seas?
Early astronomers thought that the dark areas we see on the Moon might be seas. They called them ‘maria’, the Latin word foe ‘seas’. We know now that they are vast dusty plains, but we still call them seas. Most seas are found on the side of the Moon that always faces us, the near side. There are only one or two small seas on the opposite side, the far side.
Why does the Moon change shape?
The Moon seems to change shape because we can only see the parts of it that are lit by the Sun. At New Moon, the unlit side faces Earth and it is invisible. Gradually, as the Moon circles Earth, we see more and more of the sunlit side, until Full Moon. Then we gradually see less and less, until it disappears. There are 29.5 days between one new moon and the next.
MOON DATA
Diameter at equator : 3,476 km
Minimum distance from Earth : 356,000 km
Time to circle Earth : 27.3 Earth-days
Surface temperature : -170°C to 110°C
Any object, or satellites, which orbits a planet is called a moon. Our Moon circles Earth once a month and is Earth’s nearest neighbour in space. We can see it clearly through telescope, and astronauts have explored it on foot. It is a small body – about a quarter the diameter of Earth. It has no atmosphere, no weather and no life.
How did the Moon form?
Most astronomers think that the Moon formed after another large body smashed into Earth thousand of millions of years ago. Material from Earth and the other body were flung into space. In time, this material came together to form the Moon. This explains why Moon rocks are different from rocks on Earth.
When did astronauts land on the Moon?
The first astronauts landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. They were Edwin Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, the crew of the lunar landing module of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Armstrong was the first person to stand on the Moon. There are five more lunar landings – one more in 1969, two in 1971, and two in 1972.
What made the Moon’s craters?
The surface of the Moon is covered with many thousands of pits, or craters. They have been made by meteorites raining down from outer space. Most large craters have stepped, or terraced, walls and mountain peaks in the middle. The largest craters are more than 200 kilometres across. Some young craters have bright streaks , or rays, coming from them, while only the tips of some old ‘ghost’ craters can be seen.
Where are the Moon’s seas?
Early astronomers thought that the dark areas we see on the Moon might be seas. They called them ‘maria’, the Latin word foe ‘seas’. We know now that they are vast dusty plains, but we still call them seas. Most seas are found on the side of the Moon that always faces us, the near side. There are only one or two small seas on the opposite side, the far side.
Why does the Moon change shape?
The Moon seems to change shape because we can only see the parts of it that are lit by the Sun. At New Moon, the unlit side faces Earth and it is invisible. Gradually, as the Moon circles Earth, we see more and more of the sunlit side, until Full Moon. Then we gradually see less and less, until it disappears. There are 29.5 days between one new moon and the next.
MOON DATA
Diameter at equator : 3,476 km
Minimum distance from Earth : 356,000 km
Time to circle Earth : 27.3 Earth-days
Surface temperature : -170°C to 110°C
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