Chapter 25 – The Moon
Section 25.1
Astronomy
•The study of the universe
Origin of the moon
•A planet-sized object
impacted/collided with Earth
Moon’s is made of same
materials as Earth’s Crust
Moon has a core – more
dense materials at the core,
less dense materials on the
surface
Moon’s Surface
•Meteoroids(icy/rocky
fragments in space)
impacted the moon,
leaving craters
Craters are
depressions in Earth’s
Surface
•The moon today
• Most all impacts are
from
micrometeoroids
(very, very small)
about the size of a
sand grain
• Moon’s Structure
• Iron Core, partially molten
area around the core,
surrounds by a solid
region and a crust
• Density is 3.3g/cm3
whereas Earth is 5.5g/cm3.
Therefore, the moon
formed from mostly crust
materials from Earth
Moon Properties
• We only see the
front side of the
moon
• The moon rotates
on its axis at the
same period that it
make one complete
orbit around the
Earth
Features of the Moon
• Maria
• Rille
• Lunar (moon)
highlands
• Regolith
• dark areas (latin for
Sea) Not water but
actually dark basalt
rock
• Trench-like valleys
• Areas of Lighter
colored rock - breccia
• Lunar soil