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8/9/2019 Earth + Moon -Solar System Planets
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http://www.marcusmoon2022.org/ 1
Solar System Planets: The Earth + Moon
I. Moon
- Atmosphere
- Surface/Geological Features/Moon Rocks
- Interior- Origin
II. Mercury
- Basic Facts- Exploration
- Cratering
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The Moon has no atmosphere
allows us to see the surface with fine detail
escape speed is too low on the Moon
- all gas molecules can escape!
no atmospheric pressure means that water
can not exist in liquid form- only in solid or vapor
temperature variations extreme!
- day T = 403 K = 266 F
- night T = 93 K = -292 F
- day/night are each 2 weeks long!
no weathering of the surface by water, storm
no protection from high energy solar
particles, cosmic rays
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Lunar Geological Features
1.Craters ~30,000 visible with small telescopes from Earth millions visible from lunar orbiting satellites
origin: interplanetary debris
sizes: largest 100s km
across a result of fast
moving impact rocks
of only a few kms across!
large craters oftenproduce central peak
craters
Clavius Crater
diameter = 232 km
depth of 16,000 feet
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2. Lunar Maria - dark, smooth regions
first thought to actually be wet areas (before we knew Moon had no atmosphere) now believed to be smoother, younger (fewer craters) surfaces
idea is that impacts created large basin and then lava flowed over surface
relatively low compared to highlands on moon; 2-5 km below other parts
rough mountain ranges surrounding maria suggest large impact originally
evidence for flows (lava?) along the smooth maria
Lunar Geological Features
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3. Lunar Highlands most of moon (85%) is actually covered with lighter, higher land: Highlands predominantly on the side of the Moon facing away from Earth
roughly cratered, but no smooth lava flow maria regions
crust must be thicker in the highland areas
Lunar Geological Features
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Cratering: Age of Moons Surface
can use cratering patterns todetermine AGE of surface
no atmosphere to protect
bombardment; no erosion by
wind/water OLD surface(as old as ~3 billion years)
Earths surface only a few
100 Myrs old (geological
activity has re-surfaced planet)
highlands have many more
craters; maria have fewer
craters highlands older
The smaller the planet,
the less internal heat
(geology) it will
have; less geological
activity on surface
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A Brief History ofLunar Exploration
1959: SovietLunas 1, 2, 3 orbited around Moon
1960s: USRanger- 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?)
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Highlights from Apollo 11 mission
launch: July 16th 1969
arrival at Moon: July 20th
1969first humans to land on the Moon
Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins
Command Module (CM):Columbia
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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.
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First steps on the Moon
July 20
th
1969
- Neil Armstrong
- Buzz Aldrin
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Touchdown of Moon astronauts near the coast ofHawaii on July 26th 1969
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Lunar Exploration: Apollo Missions
Apollo 1-10: pre-landing missions (Apollo 1 module fire killed 3 astronauts
while being tested) Apollo 11-17 landed (except Apollo 13, which had an explosion and returned
to Earth) 12 different astronauts walked on the Moon during 1969-1972
Principal Scientificresults of the Apollo missions:
1. The Moon is ancient and still preserves an early history (the first billionyears) that must be common to all terrestrial planets.
2. The youngest Moon rocks are virtually as old as the oldest Earth rocks. The
earliest processes and events that probably affected both planetary bodies can
now only be found on the Moon.
3. Early in its history, the Moon was melted to great depths to form a "magma
ocea
n."Th
e lunar
h
igh
la
ndscont
ain t
heremn
ants of e
arly, low density
rock
sthat floated to the surface of the magma ocean.
4. The Moon is not a primordial object; it is an evolved terrestrial planet with
internal zoning similar to that of Earth.
5. The Moon is lifeless; it contains no living organisms, fossils, or native organic
compounds
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Recent Lunar Exploration
1994: Clementine
- UV, IR, visible cameras
- possible water ice at poles
- radio waves reflected off ice
1998: Lunar Prospector- also found evidence for ice
- crashed near pole in 1999
Currently: Smart 1 Probe- European satellite
- ion propulsion (several months!)
- will search for water at poles
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Moon Rocks: Sampling the Surface of the Moon
surface material: regolith
pulverized by constant impacts
~2500 samples brought back
by astronauts; ~850 lbs total!!
all rocks are IGNEOUS (i.e.,
from molten processes)
totally dry rocks (no water)
all rocks older than 3 Byr
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Moonquakes: Studying the Moons Interior
Seismometer placed on Moon by lunar astronauts
~ 3000 quakes/year
much lower intensity
than Earth: 0.5-1.5 Richter
indicate that Moons
interior is more rigid than
Earths (some plasticity)
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Moons interior structure
iron-rich core like Earth asthenosphere layer: somewhat pliable plastic layer
solid layer just below surface no plate tectonics
smaller planet than Earth less internal energy, less geological activity!
moon probably had a weak magnetic field early in history
- core is now solid, so no current is generated
crust is thicker on
non-Earth facing side
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Color-coded images illustrate surface geography
Clementine data
blue lowland marias
red - highlands
Galileo data flyby in 1989
blue lowland marias
red - highlands
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Theories for Origin of Moon Fission: originally part of Earth but torn free
Problem: would have fallen back or been flung into space,not into orbit.
Fails to explain why lunar chemistry differs from Earth's
Co-Creation: formed in its present orbit can not explain why lunar chemistry differs from Earth's
Capture: formed as a separate planet but captured byEarth Conditions for successful capture very stringent
Impact: formed from Mega-Impact of Mars-sized planet Computer modeling suggests SS forms 100 or so small
planets, then collide to make larger objects
can explain differences in chemistry: impact occurred after chemical differentiation in Earth; therefore,
not as much iron was part of the Moon
high temperatures during impact would have vaporized thevolatile and water vapor in rocks
Currently favored model
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Computer Simulation of Formation of Moon
Moon may have
formed by a
Mars-sized object
impact on Earth
Some of the material
does not fall back
onto the Earth, but
forms a satellite
of Earth
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