3. What is the Moon?
• A natural satellite
• One of more than
96 moons in our
Solar System
• The only moon of
the planet Earth
4. Moon’s Location from Earth
• About 384,000 km
(240,000 miles)
from Earth
• 3,468 km (2,155
miles) in diameter
(about ¼ the size
of Earth)
5. A Brief History of Lunar Exploration
• 1959: Soviet Lunas 1, 2, 3 orbited around Moon
• 1960’s: US Ranger
- flyby mission
- first space pictures
- many TV cameras
• 1966-67: Lunar Orbiter
- 5 orbiting spacecraft
- full coverage of pictures
• 1966-68: Lunar Surveyor
- surveying for landing sites
- testing the “soil” (sink?)
6. Highlights from Apollo 11 mission
launch: July 16th 1969
arrival at Moon: July 20th 1969
first humans to land on the Moon
Command Module (CM):
“Columbia”
7. On July 20, 1969, after a four day trip, the Apollo astronauts arrived
at the Moon. This photo of Earthrise over the lunar horizon is one of
the most famous images returned from the space program, although
even the astronauts themselves cannot remember who actually took it.
13 Oct 2003
Solar System - Dr. C.C. Lang
7
8. First steps on the Moon
• July 20th 1969
- Neil Armstrong
- “Buzz” Aldrin
13 Oct 2003
Solar System - Dr. C.C. Lang
8
9. Touchdown of Moon astronauts near the coast of Hawaii on July
26th 1969
10. Earth
Moon
•
Active wind/water
erosion
•
NO Active wind/water
erosion
•
Impacts
•
Impacts
•
Active volcanoes
•
NO active volcanoes
•
Earthquakes
•
Small moonquakes
•
Active magnetic field
•
NO active magnetic field
•
Few craters
•
Buckets of craters
Geologically Active!
Geologically Inactive!
16. Lunar Features
Craters
• Up to 2500 km
(1,553 miles) across
• Most formed by
meteorite impact on
the Moon
• Some formed by
volcanic action inside
the Moon
17. Lunar Features
Maria
• Originally thought to be
“seas” by early
astronomers
• Darkest parts of lunar
landscape
• Filled by lava after crash of huge
meteorites on lunar surface 3-4
billion years ago
• Mostly basalt rock
19. Movements of the Moon
• Revolution –
Moon orbits the
Earth every
27 1/3 days
• Rotation – Moon
turns on its axis
every 27 days
20. Movements of the Moon
• The moon rises in the
east and sets in the
west
• The moon rises and sets
50 minutes later each
day
• Same side of Moon
always faces Earth
21. Far Side of the Moon
• First seen by Luna 3
Russian space probe in
1959
• Surface features
different from near
side
–More craters
–Very few maria
–Thicker crust
22. Lunar Formation Models
The moon is a sister world that formed in
orbit around Earth as the Earth formed.
The moon formed somewhere else in the
solar system then was captured into orbit
around Earth.
Early Earth spun so fast that it spun off the
moon.
33. Lunar Geologic History
Highlands - light, rough
(Terrae)
Mostly anorthosite
(plagioclase feldspars lots of calcium and
aluminum)
“In place” rocks are 4.5
to 4.3 billion years old
BIG Dark areas?
34. Lunar Impact Basins
Imbrium Rim
Big, frequent impacts until 3.8 billion years ago
Impact events continue on all moons and planets today
Orientale Basin
44. Lunar Geologic History
Lowlands – dark, smooth
Maria (16%)
Basalt – fine grained dark
igneous rock rich in iron
and magnesium (stuff
that sank in magma
ocean)
Few hundred meters thick
Rocks are 4.3 to 3.1 billion
years old … volcanic
flows as recently as 1
billion years ago!!
