Caitlin Roy Section 3-2 Notes![1]

Section 3-2 notes!

The Moon’s Characteristic. • Object weigh less on the moon then they do on earth • Instruments have measured as many as 3000 moonquakes per year. • Crust is about 60 kilometers thick • Core- may be made of melted iron • No water on the moon • No atmosphere-no weather on moon • Temperature range on the moon is extreme, noonday temp. may rise about 100°C

Features of the moon. • • • •

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In 1609, Galileo Galilei the first person to look at the moon through a telescope Highlands- mountains ranges on the moon. Maria- smooth lowlands Among the most striking features of the moon are many craters. Craters ranging in size from microscopic to hundreds of kilometers across cover the moon’s surface. Scientists think most craters were formed by the continuous bombardment of meteorites. A few of the craters, however, seem to be the result of volcanic activity, they say other evidence that the moon once had active volcanoes may be the long valleys, or rilles, that crisscross much of Is surface.

Movements of the Moon • • • • •

As the earth revolves around the sun, the moon revolves around the Earths in an ellipitcal orbit. Perigee- point of a satellite’s orbit closest Apogess- point of a satellite’s orbit farthest from the Earth Like the sun, the moon seems to move west across the sky, this apparent movement is caused by the Earth’s rotation. The moon rotates once on its axis every 27.3 days. This is the same amount of times it takes the moon to revolve once around the Earth.

Fact about the Moon •

Average distance from Earth- 384,403 kilometers