Astronomy Notes – Unit 1 – Moon
q (1) The Moon
o Average distance from the Earth = 239,000 miles (384,000 kilometers)
§ nearest neighbor to the Earth
o Diameter = 2,160 miles (3,480 kilometers)
§ about ¼ of the Earth
o Gravity: about 1/6 of the Earth’s
§ causes tides in the Earth’s oceans - two high, two low per day
o Atmosphere: none
o
§ low of -189°F (-123°C) to a high of 253°F (123°C)
o Period of Rotation = Period of Revolution = 27.3 days
§ the same side of the Moon is always facing the Earth!
§ “dark side of the Moon”
o Phases of the moon:
§ New Moon, Crescent, First Quarter (Half Moon), Waxing Gibbous
§ Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter (Half Moon), Crescent
§ Blue Moon, Harvest Moon
o Eclipses - Solar, Lunar
§ Shadow has two parts: umbra, penumbra
§ two partial solar eclipses in 2007 (March 19, September 11)
§ two total lunar eclipses in 2007 (March 3, August 28)
o Craters, Maria
o Apollo moon missions
1) New Moon: Phase of the Moon when it is directly between the Sun and the Earth and is invisible.
2) Full Moon: Phase of the Moon when its surface as seen from Earth is fully illuminated and appears as a complete circle.
3) Waxing: Phase of the Moon where the illuminated surface appears gradually larger each night.
4) Waning: Phase of the Moon where it the illuminated surface appears gradually smaller each night.
5) Gibbous: When the moon is more than half illuminated.
6) Tide: The rise and fall of the Earth’s oceans which is caused by the Moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth.
7) Crater: A pit caused by the impact of a meteorite.
8) Maria: Dark areas on the Moon which are lowland plains.
9) Solar Eclipse: Blocking of the Sun’s light on the Earth by the Moon.
10) Lunar Eclipse: Blocking of the Sun’s light on the Moon by the Earth.