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The Mook

The document discusses the exploration of the Moon, highlighting key milestones such as the launch of Sputnik I, the first human in space, and the Apollo 11 mission that landed astronauts on the Moon. It describes lunar craters formed by impacts and the unique properties of the Moon compared to other moons in the solar system. The document also mentions future aspirations for returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent base.

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Alexia Villegas
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32 views4 pages

The Mook

The document discusses the exploration of the Moon, highlighting key milestones such as the launch of Sputnik I, the first human in space, and the Apollo 11 mission that landed astronauts on the Moon. It describes lunar craters formed by impacts and the unique properties of the Moon compared to other moons in the solar system. The document also mentions future aspirations for returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent base.

Uploaded by

Alexia Villegas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Moon

Alexia Villegas
EXPLORING THE MOON
Astronomers have learned much about the Moon from observations with telescopes. Most of
the knowledge of the moon comes from explorations by space probes, such as Kaguya and the
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and from landings by astronauts. The fisrt step toward
reaching the Moon was in 1957, when the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite,
Sputnik I. Four years later, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin became the first human in
space.
That same year, the United States launched the first American, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., into
space during Project Mercury. This was followed by Project Gemini that launched two-person
crews. Finally, on July 20, 1969, the Apollo program landed Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz”
Aldrin on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Astronounts of the Apollo program explored
several areas of the Moon, often using special vehicals, such as the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
After a gap of many years, scientists hope to return to the Moon someday. Astronouts ope
remain longer on the Moon and eventually establish a permanent base there. Nasa is also
assisting private companies in their efforts to build piloted spacecraft.
LUNAR CRATERS
The craters on the Moon, called impact craters,
formed when objects from space crashed into the
lunar surface.
The material blasted out during these impacts fell
back to the Moon’s surface as ejecta. Some
craters have long trails of ejecta, called rays,
that radiate outward from the impact site much
like the spokes of a bicycle tire. Rays are visible as
light-colored streaks.
LUNAR PROPERTIES
Earth’s Moon is unique among all the moons
in the solar system. First, it is the largest
moon compared to the radius and mass of
the planet it orbits. Also, it is a solid, rocky
body, in contrast with the icy compositions
of most other moons of the solar system.
Finally, the Moon’s orbit is farther from
Earth relative to the distance of many
moons from the planets they orbit.

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