The Moon

Formation

Surface Features: Geology

Surface Features – The Far Side

Surface Topography

Internal Structure

Iron

Liquid Iron

Lunar AtmosphereAtmospheric Pressure: 3 × 10−15 atm

(.000000000000003 times smaller than the Earth’s)~Nearly a Vacuum~

Sources of atmosphere come from • Sputtering: bombardment of solar winds ions that

release atoms of Sodium and Potassium• Outgassing: Argon – 40, Polonium – 210, and

Radon - 222 released during radioactive decay in the crust and mantle

• Capture: of Helium – 4 from the solar wind

Exploration

The Apollo Mission

Lunar landing Sites

LRO

Liquid Water???

Lunar Orbit and Spin Rate

The Sun Earth Moon System

Phases of the Moon

Phases of the Moon Simulator:http://astro.unl.edu/naap/lps/animations/lps.html

Phases Image:• http://www.moonconnectio

n.com/moon_phases.phtml

• Libration simulation:http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lunar_libration_with_phase_Oct_2007_450px.gif

Earthshine

What time does the moon at a particular phase rise and set?

Lets do the Moon Dance:

A kinesthetic approach to learning

the times that the phases of the moon

rise, set and are highest in the sky.

• Rules– Your right hand is the sun– Your left hand is the

Moon– To your left is East – To your right is West– The angle between the

SUN – EARTH – MOON system must stay constant for a given lunar phase.

Eclipses

Solar and Lunar eclipse interactive applet:• http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/olcweb/cgi/

pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072482621/78778/Eclipses_Nav.swf::Eclipse%20Interactive

TidesBay of Fundy: High Tide Bay of Fundy: Low Tide

Tides

Gravitational Tides:http

://burro.astr.cwru.edu/Academics/Astr221/Gravity/tides.html

Tidal Attractions: Readinghttp

://burro.astr.cwru.edu/Academics/Astr221/SolarSys/earthmoon.html

Tide Applet• http://www.cascaeducation.ca/CSA/CSA_Astro9/files/multi

media/unit3/tides/tides.html

Which type of Tide has the greatest change in max and min levels?

Tidal Effect of Phobos

• http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/Academics/Astr221/Gravity/phobos.html

In Summary

• How does the position of the Sun Earth moon system affect – Tides– Eclipses– Phases of the Moon