...Moon This article is about Earth's Moon. For moons in general, see Natural satellite. For other uses, see Moon (disambiguation). The Moon Full moon as seen from Earth's northern hemisphere Designations Adjective lunar, selenic Orbital characteristics Perigee 362,570 km (0.0024 AU) (356,400–370,400 km) Apogee 405,410 km (0.0027 AU) (404,000–406,700 km) Semi-major axis 384,399 km (0.00257 AU)[1] Eccentricity 0.0549[1] Orbital period 27.321582 d (27 d 7 h 43.1 min[1]) Synodic period 29.530589 d (29 d 12 h 44 min 2.9 s) Average orbital speed 1.022 km/s Inclination 5.145° to the ecliptic[2] (between 18.29° and 28.58° to Earth's equator)[1] Longitude of ascending node regressing by one revolution in 18.6 years Argument of perigee progressing by one revolution in 8.85 years Satellite of Earth Physical characteristics Mean radius 1,737.10 km (0.273 Earths)[1][3] Equatorial radius 1,738.14 km (0.273 Earths)[3] Polar radius 1,735.97 km (0.273 Earths)[3] Flattening 0.00125 Circumference 10,921 km (equatorial) Surface area 3.793 × 107 km2 (0.074 Earths) Volume 2.1958 × 1010 km3 (0.020 Earths) Mass 7.3477 × 1022 kg (0.0123 Earths[1]) Mean density 3.3464 g/cm3[1] Equatorial surface gravity ...
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...The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and he fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. It is the largest natural satellite of a planet in the Solar System relative to the size of its primary, a quarter the diameter of Earth and 1⁄81 its mass . The Moon is the second densest satellite after Io. It is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face; the near side is marked with dark volcanic maria among the bright ancient crustal highlands and prominent impact craters. It is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun, although its surface is actually very dark, with a similar reflectance to coal. Its prominence in the sky and its regular cycle of phases have since ancient times made the Moon an important cultural influence on language, calendars, art and mythology. The Moon's gravitational influence produces the ocean tides and the minute lengthening of the day. The Moon's current orbital distance, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth, causes it to appear almost the same size in the sky as the Sun, allowing it to cover the Sun nearly precisely in total solar eclipses. The Moon is the only celestial body on which humans have landed. While the Soviet Union's Luna programme was the first to reach the Moon with unmanned spacecraft in 1959, the United States' NASA Apollo program achieved the only manned missions to date, beginning with the first manned lunar orbiting mission by Apollo 8 in 1968, and six manned lunar landings between 1969 and 1972—the...
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...Moon The Moon (Latin: Luna) is the Earth's only natural satellite.[e][f][8] Although not the largest natural satellite in the Solar System, it is, among the satellites of major planets, the largest relative to the size of the object it orbits (its primary) [g][h] and, after Jupiter's satellite Io, it is the second most dense satellite among those whose densities are known. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face with its near side marked by dark volcanic maria that fill between the bright ancient crustal highlands and the prominent impact craters. It is the most luminous object in the sky after the Sun. Although it appears a very bright white, its surface is actually dark, with a reflectance just slightly higher than that of worn asphalt. Its prominence in the sky and its regular cycle of phases have, since ancient times, made the Moon an important cultural influence on language, calendars, art, and mythology. The Moon's gravitational influence produces the ocean tides and the slight lengthening of the day. The Moon's current orbital distance is about thirty times the diameter of Earth, causing it to have an apparent size in the sky almost the same as that of the Sun. This allows the Moon to cover the Sun nearly precisely in total solar eclipse. This matching of apparent visual size is a coincidence. The Moon's linear distance from Earth is currently increasing at a rate of 3.82±0.07 cm per year, but this rate is not constant.[9] The Moon...
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...Race for the Moon “I’m glad I was at NASA at that particular time because we had a mission. We had support. And the reason we had that mission and the support was basically because we were in a political war… with the Soviets” (Borman). The space race, as it was known, had been a major competition between the United States and Russia during the mid-to-late twentieth century, also the time of the Cold War. During this era, the moon landing was the biggest success for the Americans and a symbol of power and, in a way, temporary, if not permanent, superiority over Russia. The United States proved to the world that they were finally able to “outrun” the Russians in the ongoing space race in being responsible for the first manned lunar landing in all of history. One of the most significant aspects of the moon landing, in general, was its establishment of America’s lead ahead of the Russians in the space race. A variety of steps and setbacks, however, had preceded the immense achievement. In 1958, to start the greatest project known to men, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 into law, establishing NASA. “I believe that this nation should commit to its goal, before the decade is out of landing man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth” (JFK). On March of 1959, United States sent an unmanned Pioneer 4 for the first American lunar flyby. A month later, on April 9th, 1959 the Space Administration introduced the very first seven American...
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...The Origin of the Moon: discussion on the gradual perfection of proposed hypotheses Introduction The Moon is the easiest and most familiar object that human can catch in the clear night. The Moon as known as our Earth’s only natural satellite is indicated by Rick Carlson in recent research to have an age of between 4.40 and 4.45 billion years, which is not long after the origin of the Earth. However, the origin of the Moon is still not defined and further research on this topic is continuous. The exploration of formation of the Moon is gradually per fected by the various proposed theories started from 1878 to nowadays. This research essay will discuss both the past and present hypotheses of origin of the Moon. The past hypotheses also known as “The Big Three” referring to Fission, Capture and Accretion hypotheses are popular in different times and centuries before the Apollo mission flew in 1972 (Tyson, 2000). However, the study on the moon rock brought by Apollo’s program gives unavailable clues for “The Big Three”(Tyson, 2000). Nowadays, the Giant Impact Hypothesis is regarded as the most leading theory that is most accepted in present. Nevertheless, it is widely accepted, some studies supported this theory; others may create new theory to challenge this Giant Impact Hypothesis, which make this hypothesis still arguable. However, whatever these hypotheses failed or will achieve, they bring a better understanding on the formation of planet’s satellites in our Solar System (Zhong...
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...one time, according to Sir George H. Darwin, the Moon was very close to the Earth. Then the tides gradually pushed her far away: the tides that the Moon herself causes in the Earth’s waters, where the Earth slowly loses energy. How well I know! – old Qfwfq cried – the rest of you can’t remember, but I can. We had her on top of us all the time, that enormous Moon: when she was full – nights as bright as day, but with the butter-coloured light – it looked as if she were going to crush us; when she was new, she rolled around the sky like a black umbrella blown by the wind; and when she was waxing, she came forward with her horns so low she seemed about to stick into the peak of a promontory and get caught there. But the whole business of the Moon’s phases worked in a different way then: because the distances from the Sun were different, and the orbits, and the angle of something or other, I forget what; as for eclipses, with Earth and Moon stuck together the way they were, why, we had eclipses every minute: naturally, those two big monsters managed to put each other in the shade constantly, first one, then the other. Orbit? Oh, elliptical, of course: for a while it would huddle against us and then it would take flight for a while. The tides, when the Moon swung closer, rose so high nobody could hold them back. There were nights when the Moon was full and very, very low, and the tide was so high that the Moon missed a ducking in the sea by a hair’s-breadth;...
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...Name: ________________________ Date: ___________________________ College: _______________________ Community Partnership CS Sun, Moon and Stars End of Unit Assessment [pic] Part A: Here are some multiple-choice questions. Make sure to READ THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY! Please choose and then circle the appropriate answer for each question. 1. What is the sun made out of? A. Dust and Rock B. Wood and Plastic C. Helium and Hydrogen D. None of the Above 2. Where does the sun rise? A. North B. South C. East D. West 3. Where does the sun set? A. North B. South C. East D. West 4. How many phases does the moon have? A. 8 B. 2 C. 5 D. 10 5. Which phase comes after the “Full Moon”? A. First Quarter B. Waxing Gibbous C. New Moon D. Waning Gibbous 6. About how many days does it take the moon to complete ALL the phases? A. 12 days B. 28 days C. 25 days D. 33 days 7. What is the moon made out of? A. Dust, Rocks and Holes B. Wood, Metal and Plastic C. Gases, Helium and Hydrogen D. None of the Above 8. How long does it take for the earth to orbit the sun? A. 28 days B. 400 days C. 24 hours D. 365 days 9. Which star is the closet to earth? A. The Sun B. The Moon C. The Space ship D. Pluto 10. What material can you use to observe things in the night sky? A. Magnifying Glass B. Roll of toilet paper C. Your glasses on your eyes D. Telescope Part B: Here are some Short Answer response questions. Make...
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...The Moon Landing On the day of July 20, 1969 the United States of America accomplished a colossal feat that astonished the world. After years of trial and error the United States of America was able to beat all odds and all other countries in putting a man on the Earth’s moon, two men to be exact. Neil Alden Armstrong, the first man to lay his feet on the moon’s surface and Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. who shortly followed became symbols of America’s self-proclaimed superiority. The controversy of this topic lies in many questions. What events took place that led up to the moon landing? Who was involved? How and why did we put a man on the moon and be the first? History itself can give us these answers but there is also one question that seems to still have people talking to this day and that is, did it really even happen or could it possibly be the United States of America’s greatest hoax? The Cold War began approximately in 1945 at the end of World War II. The United States, Great Britain and some other allied counties decided they wanted to contain communism in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R) and China. Although the United States of America and these communist enemies did not get in any physical battles during this war there was definitely a lot of unspoken threats and the flexing of muscles between the two super powers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union. One of the two biggest contests or “races” between the two countries began when...
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...the moon. Her face and arms began to swell and Whitey's on the moon. I can't pay no doctor bills but Whitey's on the moon. Ten years from now I'll be payin' still while Whitey's on the moon. The man just upped my rent last night cuz Whitey's on the moon. No hot water, no toilets, no lights but Whitey's on the moon. I wonder why he's uppin me. Cuz Whitey's on the moon? I was already givin' him fifty a week but now Whitey's on the moon. Taxes takin' my whole damn check, The junkies makin' me a nervous wreck, The price of food is goin' up, And as if all that shit wasn't enough: A rat done bit my sister Nell with Whitey on the moon. Her face and arms began to swell but Whitey's on the moon. Was all that money I made last year for Whitey on the moon? How come there ain't no money here? Hmm! Whitey's on the moon. Ya know, I just about had my fill of Whitey on the moon. I think I'll send these doctor bills airmail special.... to Whitey on the moon. By GIL-SCOTT HERON A rat done bit my sister Nell with Whitey on the moon. Her face and arms began to swell and Whitey's on the moon. I can't pay no doctor bills but Whitey's on the moon. Ten years from now I'll be payin' still while Whitey's on the moon. The man just upped my rent last night cuz Whitey's on the moon. No hot water, no toilets, no lights but Whitey's on the moon. I wonder why he's uppin me. Cuz Whitey's on the moon? I was already givin' him fifty a week but now Whitey's on the moon. ...
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...system. The Moon, being such an influential entity on our planet, has also one of the most mysterious findings our scientists have discovered. Author’s note I chose this topic on the basis it was the most difficult topic to research. I am fascinated with the celestial bodies that encompass our solar system. The Moon, being such an influential entity on our planet, has also one of the most mysterious findings our scientists have discovered. The Artificial Moon Justin Jones EN1320 Andrew A Bowen Abstract This paper analyzes several works on the Moon and its characteristics and geological features. The Moon is the largest satellite of a planet in the Solar System relative to the size of its primary, having 27% the diameter and 60% the density of the Earth, resulting in 1/81 its mass. The Moon is a paradoxical celestial body, raising questions about its composition and origin. Isaac Asimov wrote, there is no astronomical reason why the moon and the sun should fit so well. It is the sheerest of coincidences, and only the Earth among all the planets is ‘blessed’ in this fashion” (Samone 2012). Nobel chemist Dr. Harold Urey suggested the moon’s reduced density is because of large areas inside the moon where is “simply a cavity” (Regehr 1995). Carl Sagan also writes, “A natural satellite cannot be a hollow object” (Sagan 1999; Shklovskii 1999). Accompanied by the information that is available and reviewed one can affirm the moon is an artificial planetoid. Moon Origins ...
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...The moon is a critical part of the function of earth. Without the moon, we wouldn't have night or tides. Centuries ago, scientists began to research the origin of the moon and how it began to orbit around earth. Their research provided them with four different theories on the formation of the moon, however, one question arises. Which one of these theories is valid? The impact theory holds the most truth and is supported with the most accurate information and, therefore, should be accepted on a global scale. The capture theory implies that the moon was formed somewhere else in space, and later captured by the Earth's gravitational force. After it was captured, it began to orbit around Earth. In contradiction to this theory, captured moons are often...
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...There are a few hypotheses out there in regards to the origin of how the earth’s moon was formed of where it came from. One of these hypotheses states that 5.55 billion years ago the newly formed earth had started to attain its size and had formed its layers. During that period there were still many planets the size of mars and mercury moving around the solar system closet to earth. The theory was that since the earth had formed most its layers that many of the iron minerals had made its way to the core of the earth and the outer layers were made of other types of less dense materials. In theory a planet the size of mars collided with earth in which it vaporized the earth’s atmosphere and outside crust, also vaporizing the crust of the other planet. This in return heated up the planets and caused large chunks of molten masses to shoot out into space. However due to the earths strong gravity pull not all of the molten chunks escaped out into space but however was trapped by earth’s gravity and stayed in place. Over thousands of years this molten mass would eventually turn into what we know today as the moon and to explain the low iron count of the moon. Another hypothesis is that of the Nebular hypothesis. It states that the solar system as a whole started off as nebula cloud of gasses and dust. Which in time a gravitational collapse happened and the cloud started to rotate? This rotation in returned caused the mass to start to heat up due the fact the gravitational energy...
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...Moons of the solar system Ganymede Ganymede is a satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. It is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter. It has a diameter of 5,268 km 8 percent larger than that of the planet Mercury. It is a fully differentiated body with an iron-rich, liquid core. A saltwater ocean is believed to exist nearly 200 km below Ganymede's surface, sandwiched between layers of ice. Ganymede is the only moon in the Solar System known to possess a magnetosphere, likely created through convection within the liquid iron core. The meager magnetosphere is buried within Jupiter's much larger magnetic field and would show only as a local perturbation of the field lines. The satellite has a thin oxygen atmosphere that includes O, O2, and possibly O3, which is ozone. Ganymede's discovery is credited to Galileo Galilei, who was the first to observe it on January 7, 1610. Astronomer Simon Marius soon suggested the satellite’s name, for the mythological Ganymede, cupbearer of the Greek gods and Zeus's lover. On January 7, 1610, Galileo Galilei observed what he believed were three stars near Jupiter, including what turned out to be Ganymede, Calisto, and one body that turned out to be the combined light from Io and Europa; the next night he noticed that they had moved. On January 13, he saw all four at once for the first time, but had seen each of the moons before this date at least once. By January 15, Galileo came to the conclusion...
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...BLOOD-BURNING MOON by Jean Toomer 1 Up from the skeleton stone walls, up from the rotting floor boards and the solid hand-hewn beams of oak of the pre- war cotton factory, dusk came. Up from the dusk the full moon came. Glowing like a fired pine-knot, it illumined the great door and soft showered the Negro shanties aligned along the single street of factory town. The full moon in the great door was an omen. Negro women improvised songs against its spell. Louisa sang as she came over the crest of the hill from the white folks' kitchen. Her skin was the color of oak leaves on young trees in fall. Her breasts, firm and up-pointed like ripe acorns. And her singing had the low murmur of winds in fig trees. Bob Stone, younger son of the people she worked for, loved her. By the way the world reckons things, he had won her. By measure of that warm glow which came into her mind at thought of him, he had won her. Tom Burwell, whom the whole town called Big Boy, also loved her. But working in the fields all day, and far away from her, gave him no chance to show it. Though often enough of evenings he had tried to. Somehow, he never got along. Strong as he was with hands upon the ax or plow, he found it difficult to hold her. Or so he thought. But the fact was that he held her to factory town more firmly than he thought for. His black balanced, and pulled against, the white of Stone, when she thought of them. And her mind was vaguely upon them as she came over the crest of the hill...
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...short story “Blood Burning Moon,” the moon plays a central role in the resolution of a love triangle. Toomer indicates the moon in a negative way with just the title of the story, underscoring its wickedness: perhaps the moon runs on blood, lusts for it. It also foreshadows the nights events: “The full moon in the great door was an omen.” It “soft showere[s] the negro shanties,” contrary to our initial impression of it, perhaps lulling the people below into a false sense of security. The role of the moon is seen most vividly in the love triangle between Bob Stone, Tom Burwell and Louisa. Their interactions with each other closely parallel the behaviors of celestial bodies in orbit, much like the moon. Louisa’s mind floats between her two callers, Bob Stone who loves her and Tom Burwell, who also loves her, but “working in the fields all day, and far away from her, gave him no chance to show it.” Burwell is unaware of how much he holds Louisa to factory town, however, as “his black balanced, and pulled against, the white of Stone, when she thought of them.” The balancing act of the triangle mimics that of the moon in orbit in relation to surrounding bodies. As Louisa contemplates Bob and Tom, she comes over the crest of the hill, singing at the “evil face of the moon.” Tom, Bob and Louisa all perceive a stirring in nature, but in different ways. Louisa experiences it internally, blaming it on either of her callers, but ultimately indicating the moon as its cause: “they jumbled...
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