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Discuss your opinion on this talk page. The main reason for this move is The natural satellite of Earth has been officially designated "The Moon". Please do not remove this tag or move the page until the discussion has been concluded.
The Moon (also known as Earth I or Luna) is the Earth's natural satellite and the 5th largest spherical moon in the Solar System. Yet, it is the largest in the Solar System in relation to its host planet, being only one-fourth smaller than Earth.
Formation
It's unknown how the Earth's moon was created. But many astronomers claimed that it was formed from the debris of Theia and Earth. We know that the moon was bombarded by meteorites and over time was filled with lava and violent volcanic activity as well. the Moon was later cooled by water from meteor impacts along with the Earth, thus ending the heavy late bombardment period.
Structure
Interior Structure
The interior structure of the Moon is similar to the Earth. The first layer is dirt and the second layer is crust. The beginning of the internal structure is the mantle. Under the moon's upper mantle is a small space.
Surface structure
The Moon has a thin, tenuous atmosphere, for all practical purposes a vacuum, similar to most other large natural satellites (besides Titan). the Moon is covered with caverns, craters, and meteorite impacts from millions of years ago. The largest and probably most known crater is the Swift crater, caused by a meteorite impact from about five hundred million years ago.
The Moon’s composition of gases inside of the regolith, or any rock harder or visibly darker than the surrounding rock, acts upon the surface, causing dark spots on the moon to form called "maria", or non-plural, "mare". These maria are also caused by the debris that is kicked up into the atmosphere due to meteor impacts from the inner regions of the Solar System. When this debris returns to Earth, it stains the land and causes dark patches, which are the maria.
Since the moon is heavily cratered, many of the famous craters are found here, such as the South Pole-Aitken basin, being the largest crater in the Solar System, taking up about 2240 kilometers, taking up about three-sevenths of the surface of the Moon .
Phases
- New Moon - this is the first phase of the Moon . This phase takes place during the beginning of the Moon ’s orbit around the Earth. In this phase, the dark side of the moon is facing Earth, while the bright portion is being lit up by the sunlight on the other side. No parts of Earth will be able to see the Moon .
- Waxing Crescent - the second phase of the Moon . During this phase, the dark side of the moon begins to receive some of the reflected sunlight, therefore creating a crescent-shape. Over about three days, this crescent will become larger, yet the opposite appearance makes it look as if it is becoming smaller, which the term "waning" implies.
- First Quarter - this is the third phase of the Moon , hence the name due to the fact that it's one quarter through its cycle. During this phase, half of the dark side is illuminated, which then becomes the bright side of the moon. Half of the moon appears illuminated.
- Waxing Gibbous - this is the fourth phase of the moon. During this phase, the Moon resembles a gibbous, a shape where one side is more proportionally overtaken by the other. Again, the "waning" term refers to the gibbous seemingly to grow until it's fully illuminated, as proven by the next phase. This phase can easily be mistaken for the other phase, waning gibbous. The difference between the two is that a waning gibbous will always show up on the right side.
- Full Moon - this is the fifth phase of the Moon . During this phase, both the dark and bright sides of the moon are both illuminated by sunlight. The moon appears to have a more hue-like color. It also looks slightly larger and a more detailed surface is seen.
- Waning Gibbous - this is the sixth phase of the Moon . During this phase, the gibbous of the moon will appear to gradually become smaller.The difference between this phase and the, more commonly mistaken for, waxing gibbous, is that this phase will always show up on the left side of the Moon
- Third Quarter - this is the seventh phase of the Moon . Hence, the name due to the fact that it's three quarters through its cycle. During this phase, only half of the moon is illuminated by sunlight, yet the sides are once again flipped, where the dark side becomes the bright side and the bright side becomes the dark side.
- Waning Crescent - this is the eighth, and final, phase of the Moon . During this phase, another crescent is displayed. The term "waning" refers to the a portion seemingly becoming smaller. In this case, the moon is actually shrinking and slowly, after about three days, becomes a New Moon, thereby starting this phase over again after 27.3 days.
Rare Occurrences
Blue Moon
The term "blue moon" describes the second full moon to appear in one lunar month, which is approximately 29.5 days. The term does not describe the color of the Moon during this period, for the origin comes from a misinterpretation of a definition from the 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope.
Eclipses
Eclipses are rare occurrences when either the Earth, Sun, and the Moon (or vice versa) are interlocked in a straight line, called a "syzygy". There are two types of eclipses: a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. A solar eclipse can only appear during a new moon. On the contrary, A lunar eclipse is when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun. Unlike the solar eclipse, lunar eclipses only appear during a full moon.
Eclipses are, in solar terms, difficult to "create". The diameter of the Sun is four hundred times that of the Moon ’s, yet the Moon is four hundred times further away from the Sun than the diameter of the Sun, therefore making it appear that the Moon is just as large as the Sun. the Moon has to align in such a way as to make this appear this way, therefore creating the "difficulty".
Varieties of Eclipses
Annular eclipses are eclipses caused when the Sun and the Moon are in an exact line, yet the size of the moon is apparently smaller than that of the Sun. This causes the Sun to become a bright disk called the annulus.
A total eclipse occurs when the Moon completely blocks out the Sun's annulus, therefore blocking out, not only the Sun but the moon itself. Therefore, even on a phase, excluding a full moon, such as a waning gibbous, there will still be no visible moon.
Hybrid eclipses are eclipses that transition between a total and an annular eclipse. On certain points upon the Earth's surface, one region might experience a total eclipse while another receives an annular eclipse. These eclipses are somewhat rare compared to other phenomena.
A partial eclipse is an eclipse that occurs when the Sun is not completely in line, causing the Moon to only partially obscure the one, which the name "partial" eclipse implies. Partial eclipses can appear to be different eclipses at polar regions, for the umbra may not act as concentrated on the other regions, therefore creating this perspective.
Shadows of an Eclipse
Eclipses are a result of shadows, which causes the Moon or Sun appears to be dark during such an event. Two main shadows are involved in the illusion of an eclipse, and they are listed below.
- Umbra - the shadow that creates the illusion of an eclipse; caused by the sunlight from the Sun striking the Moon directly; this direct light travels around the moon, and causes it to appear darkened or black.
- Antumbra - the shadow that gives the illusion that the Sun and the Moon are of equal size; the closer an observer moves, the more of the obscured object, in this case the Moon , can be seen, for more of the shadow is appearing the surface of the Moon
However, shadows are only a result of a light source, and in this case, it is sunlight from the Sun itself. The sunlight in a solar eclipse causes the outer layer of the Sun to show around the disk of the moon. Though the outer layer is known as the corona, during an eclipse, this outer layer of light is known ad the penumbra. The penumbra is responsible for the shadows during a solar eclipse, and appears around the Moon during such an event.
Images of Eclipses
Tidal Affects
Due to the Earth rotating on its axis about twenty-eight times faster than the Moon makes one orbit around Earth itself, this causes the gravitational pull of the Earth and the Moon to become "dragged", therefore causing surface water of Earth to bulge. This causes the water to compact into large waves as it reaches the shore called "tides".
Many factors play a role into the height of the waves though: the friction created through the Earth and the Moon ’s gravitational pull, the inertia, or non-movement, of the water, and the movement of the ocean surface. Therefore, the height of the tides are determined through these factors. As the movement of the surface increases, the water begins to move faster until approaching the shore, which pushes up the water, continually increasing the size.
Orbit
the Moon makes one orbit around the Earth in 27.3 days. This can become lengthened to 29.5 days due to Earth's rotation around the Sun. During Earth's orbit, the moon’s reflected light will become influenced by this, causing the phases to become lengthened or shortened, resulting in a longer sidereal period, which is the period in which the Moon makes one orbit.
Atmosphere
Despite a combination of few gases, the Moon has no physical atmosphere surrounding the surface, therefore asteroids can easily impact the surface with little restriction. This is responsible for the thousands of craters upon the Moon ’s surface, by which asteroids continue to crash into the surface, leaving more and more. Few elements have been discovered in the atmosphere such as potassium and sodium. Yet, basic nutrients of an atmosphere, which include nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, are not found in the atmosphere yet in the regolith.
Gallery
Lunar Maria | |
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Oceanus | Procellarum |
Mare | Anguis • Australe • Cognitum • Crisium • Fecunditatis • Frigoris • Humboltianum • Humorum • Imbrium • Igenii • Isularium • Margini • Moscoviense • Nectaris • Nubium • Orientale • Serenitatis • Smythii • Spumans • Tranquillitatis • Undarum • Vaporum |
Lacus | Aestatis • Autumni • Bonitatis • Doloris • Exellentiae • Felicitatis • Gaudii • Hiemalis • Lenitatis • Luxuriae • Mortis • Oblivionis • Odii • Perseverantiae • Solitudinis • Somniorum • Spei • Temporis • Timoris • Veris |
Sinus | Aestuum • Amoris • Asperitatis • Concordiae • Fidei • Honoris • Iridum • Lunicus • Medii • Roris • Successus |
Plaudes | Epidemiarum • Putredinis • Somni |