The Moon

Answers

BASIC INFORMATION

1. a. approximately 2000 miles (actually 2160 miles or 3476 km)
b. approximately 250,000 miles (actually 239,000 miles or 384,000 km)
c. 1/81 that of earth
d. 1/50 that of earth
e. 0.62 that of earth or 3.33 gm/cm3
f. 27.3 days
g. 27.3 days
h. 29.5 days
i. approximately -250° F to +250° F (actual range -279° F to +212° F or -173° C to 100° C)
j. no atmosphere
k. no water
l. yes (1/6th earth's gravitational pull)

PHASES OF THE MOON

Moon - quadrature

Phase: first quarter

Rise: 12:00 Set: 24:00

elongation = 90°

Moon - opposition

Phase: full moon

Rise: 18:00 Set: 06:00

elongation = 180°

Moon - opposition

Phase: new moon

Rise: 06:00 Set: 18:00

elongation = 0°

3. sidereal, 27.3

4. synodic, 29.5

5. is revolving around the sun. After one revolution of the moon around the earth, the earth has moved through 1/12th of its orbit around the sun. The alignment of earth, moon, and sun is not the same, and an additional 21/6 days is needed to achieve the same configuration and repeat the same phase.

6. rotation, synchronous

7. observed, far, new moon

8. 29.5 days or one synodic period

FORMATION OF THE MOON

9. fission, continental drift

10. break apart, Roche, SHORT

11. accretion or cocreation

12. captured

13. collided, accreted, Mars

14. accretion, collision, accretion

CHRONOLOGY OF MAJOR LUNAR EVENTS

15. highlands (terrae, uplands), lowlands (seas, basins, maria)

16. density, differentiation or crustal differentiation

17. highlands, asteroid, 3.9

18. basins, magma, lava, iron, maria

19. THREE

20. maria or basins, not much has been happening to the surface of the moon since this time.

21. age, younger

APPEARANCE AND GEOLOGY OF THE MOON

22. maria, sea, newer, flatter, denser

23. highlands or terrae

24. albedo, LOW, a macadamized roadway

25. dark

26. oxygen, silicon

27. calcium, aluminum, iron, magnesium or titanium

28. a. continental drift: surface of earth is reprocessed

b. erosion: water and wind reduce the elevation of objects

c. weathering: chemical changes induced by air or water and mechanical changes created by expansion and contraction

29. a. Cratering and blanketing and bombardment by micrometeorites

b. Mechanical weathering: expansion and contraction due to diurnal temperature changes

c. Bombardment by solar wind particles

30. LOWER

31. rays, NEWER

32. crust, basins (seas)

33. seas (The Orientale Basin on the lunar far side was never flooded by lava.)

34. core

35. WOULD NOT

36. IGNEOUS

37. solid, asthenosphere

38. VERY DEEP (about 600 miles or 1000 km), WOULD NOT

39. Ranger, Surveyor, Lunar Orbiters

40. atmospheric (seeing)

CRATERING

41. LIQUID, vaporized

42. HIGHER, LOWER, volcanism

43. HIGHER, HIGHER, EVEN, LOWER

44. central peak, volcanism

45. terracing

46. volcanism

47. secondary

48. YOUNGER

49. sharper, rounded

50. sinuous, lava, crater

51. straight