Kristina, Max, Deshawn, Sean, Chuck

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Group 13

• Kristina, Max, Deshawn, Sean, Chuck

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Key Concepts

• Surface Features of the Moon
• Cratering
• Magnetospheres
• Formation of the Moon
• New Moon Research

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Large-Scale Features

• Maria Oceans of the Moon
• - Extensive flat plains that resulted from the
  spread of lava during an earlier volcanic
  period of lunar evolution.
• - The largest of them, Mare Imbrium, the Sea
  of Showers, is about 1100 km in diameter.
• Highlands Terrae
• - Regions that are elevated several
  kilometers above the maria.

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Important Differences

• The highlands are largely made of rocks rich in
  aluminum, making them light in color and lower in
  density.
• The marias basaltic matter contains more iron,
  giving it a darker color and greater density.
• Radioactive dating indicates ages of more than
  four billion years for highland rocks, and from
  3.2 to 3.9 billion years for those from the maria.

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Cratering

• Only Large-Scale features visible with the naked
  eye.
• Using telescopes the discovery of bowl-shaped
  craters are seen.
• These are caused by meteoric impact, causes high
  pressure that deform the surface.

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• Meteoroid strikes the surface, releasing a large
  amount of energy.
• b,c) The pressure of the impact sends shock
  through the surface.
• d) A blanket of ejected material called ejecta is
  thrown out.

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• Craters caused because the Moon has no
  atmosphere.
• The older highlands are more crated than the
  younger maria due to a drop in meteoric
  bombardment.
• Erosion rate on the Moon is slower than on Earth,
  even though there are constant collisions on its
  surface.

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History of the Earth-Moon System

• Formation
• 4.6 billion years ago Earth was formed by
  accretion in the solar nebula
• The formation of the moon is somewhat of a
  mystery
• Three theories designed to explain lunar origin

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Theories

• 1. The Coformation Theory
• 2. The Capture Theory
• 3. The Impact Theory

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New Moon Research

• 1. Period of Heavy Bombardment 4.5 -3.8 billion
  years ago.
• 2. Planetesimals were hitting earth every single
  day.
• 3. Life on earth 3.8 billion years ago.
• 4. How could this happen?

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New Moon Research

• 5. Earth rocks and fossils cannot be studied.
• 6. However, moon rocks can.
• 7. Do we already possess early earth matter?
• 8. What do we look for?
• 9. Where do we find it?
• 10. How do we extract it?

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Gallery

• On the left Period of Heavy Bombardment.
• On the right A photograph of the moons surface.

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Magnetospheres

• Region around a planet that is influenced by that
  planets magnetic field

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Van Allen Belts

• Belts of magnetically charged particles, caught
  from the solar wind
• Two doughnut shaped areas
• Helps create Auroras in upper atmosphere

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Magnetosphere Generation

• Liquid, Iron Core
• Rapid rotation of said core

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Lunar Magnetism

• There is no lunar magnetism
• No liquid, iron, rotating core

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Sources

• NASA website.
• Science.Nasa.gov
• http//science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/18oct_eart
  hrocks.htm?friend
• Science News
• http//www.sciencenews.org/20001202/fob4.asp
• Chaisson, McMillan, Astronomy, 3rd Edition,
  Prentice Hall, 2001