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The Moon

Explore the mysteries of the Moon, Earth's natural satellite. Learn about its formation, lunar cycles, impact theories, and the role it plays in creating tides and eclipses. Discover the history of lunar exploration from the Apollo missions to the present day.

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The Moon

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  1. The Moon

  2. MOON: • a natural satellite of a planet • may vary widely in composition

  3. The Earth’s Moon • Lunar rocks brought back during Apollo missions found to be 4.6 billion years old…a clue to the age of the Earth and of our solar system…

  4. Exploring the Moon • 1957: Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite

  5. Exploring the Moon… • 1961: Yuri A. Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut, became first human in space • 1962: Project Mercury: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., first American in space • Project Gemini: launched 2-person crews

  6. Apollo 11 • July 20, 1969 • First manned mission to land on the moon • Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin

  7. I. Formation of the Moon • Giant-Impact Hypothesis: • Mars-sized body struck the Earth early in its history • Collision caused an ejection of fragments into orbit around Earth • Fragments eventually joined to form the moon • Supported by silica-rich samples of moon rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts

  8. Moon Impact Theory

  9. II. Movements of the Moon • The orbit of the moon around Earth is an ellipse • Apogee: when the moon is furthest away from Earth • Perigee: when the moon is closest to Earth

  10. ROTATION and REVOLUTION Periods are EQUAL • Revolution around the Earth: 27.3 days • Revolution around Earth creates moon phases and eclipses • Rotation on its axis: one rotation during each orbit around the Earth

  11. A. Tides • The daily, periodic rise and fall of Earth’s water levels caused by the gravitational attraction between the Earth and moon • Two (2) high and low tides each day • Create a bulge of land and water on one side of the Earth

  12. SPRING TIDES: higher high tides and lower low tides at FULL and NEW moon phases

  13. During SPRING TIDES: The SUN, MOON, EARTH form a LINE To SPRING means: “to jump” or “to leap up”

  14. NEAP TIDES: weak tides; tidal ranges at a minimum occur during QUARTER moons

  15. B. Eclipses 1. SOLAR Eclipse:MOON is between the Earth and the Sun and blocks out the Sun.

  16. 2. LUNAR Eclipse:EARTH is between the moon and the Sun and Earth’s shadow blocks out the moon.

  17. Eclipses

  18. What makes the moon shine?

  19. III. Lunar Cycle: Phases of the Moon • NEW Moon: moon is not illuminated (lit) • FULL Moon: full lighted circle • Earth is between the moon and the sun

  20. WAXING Moon: size of the visible portion of the moon increases

  21. WANING Moon: size of the visible portion of the moon decreases

  22. Lunar Month • Synodic month: measured from new moon to new moon = 29.53 days • Sidereal month: orbital period = 27.32 days

  23. Sidereal vs. Synodic Periods

  24. Phases of the Moon

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