Exploring the Moon

1. Exploring the Moon

2. Learning Outcomes • To understand the likely origin of lunar seas and craters. • To interpret evidence for lunar seas being relatively young features. • To describe the nature and purposes of the Apollo project and its experimental packages.

3. To interpret evidence for lunar seas being relatively young features Craters • Like many places in the Solar System, including Earth, the Moon has many craters on its surface. These are primarily impact features caused by meteorites or comets colliding with the Moon

4. Lunar Seas (Maria)

5. To understand the likely origin of lunar seas and craters. Luna Seas (Maria) • Millions of years (sometimes as many as 500 million years) later the Moon underwent a time of volcanic activity and lava was forced to the surface. This lava later turned to basalt. It flooded the lower impact areas and would have covered any other features on the landscape including other craters. The highlands were left untouched. • Today we can see a large number of craters on the Terrae and fewer on Maria which also implies they were formed at different times.

6. Mini Review • Using the evidence you have just learned can you now describe the reasons why lunar seas have to be relatively young features.

7. Answer • Lunar seas were created when old craters were filled with lava from new volcanic activity. This hardened as dark basalt, creating the seas we see today

8. To describe the nature and purposes of the Apollo project and its experimental packages The Apollo Project • The Apollo space missions are thought to be the most important manned space missions to date. The reason is that astronauts landed on the Moon, explored it and brought back samples of Moon rocks. • Six missions landed on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. • Apollo 11 was the first to land on the Moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first to explore the surface while Michael Collins orbited above them in a command module. • The astronauts deployed Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEPS). These experiments included mirrors left there so we can measure the distance to the Moon by laser, seismographs to measure moonquakes and sensors to measure solar radiation. • The Retroflectors left on the Moon have told us that the Moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 cm a year.

14. Apply your Knowledge • Prepare a timeline showing the successes and setbacks of the Apollo project. • http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/attm/timeline.html • http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=once-upon-time-apollo-program-timeline • http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/apollo-program--4

15. Review • Write everything that you have learned in this lesson down before the music ends!