earth + moon -solar system planets

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  • 8/9/2019 Earth + Moon -Solar System Planets

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    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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