Greek Mythology Quadrants Maria & Related Features Lunar Surface Elevations Facts & Features Selene is the Moon and 12 234 the goddess of the Moon, 32 Diameter: 2,160 miles which is 27.3% of Earth’s equatorial diameter of 7,926 miles 260 Lacus daughter of the titans 71 13 113 Mare Frigoris Mare Humboldtianum Volume: 2.03% of Earth’s volume; 49 Moons would fit inside Earth 51 103 Mortis Hyperion and Theia. Her 282 44 II I Sinus Iridum 167 125 321 Lacus Somniorum Near Side Mass: 1.62 x 1023 pounds; 1.23% of Earth’s mass sister Eos is the goddess 329 18 299 Sinus Roris Surface Area: 7.4% of Earth’s surface area of dawn and her brother 173 Mare Imbrium Mare Serenitatis 85 279 133 3 3 3 Helios is the Sun. Selene 291 Palus Mare Crisium Average Density: 3.34 gm/cm (water is 1.00 gm/cm ). Earth’s density is 5.52 gm/cm 55 270 112 is often pictured with a 156 Putredinis Color-coded elevation maps Gravity: 0.165 times the gravity of Earth 224 22 237 III IV cresent Moon on her head. 126 Mare Marginis of the Moon. The difference in 41 Mare Undarum Escape Velocity: 1.5 miles/sec; 5,369 miles/hour Selenology, the modern-day 229 Oceanus elevation from the lowest to 62 162 25 Procellarum Mare Smythii Distances from Earth (measured from the centers of both bodies): Average: 238,856 term used for the study 310 116 223 the highest point is 11 miles. 262 Mare Spumans Both of these points are found miles; 1.3 light-seconds. Closest: 221,457 miles. Farthest: 252,711 miles. of the Moon is derived 72 269 217 159 339 6 77 Mare Insularum on the Far Side. The Far Side from Selene. 186 146 Eccentricty of Orbit: 0.055; The major axis is 16% longer than the minor axis. 231 66 130 Mare Cognitum Mare Fecunditatis has very few maria compared Sidereal Revolution Period (One Complete Orbit): 27.322 days 326 95 Mare Orientale to the Near Side. 166 35 21 37 36 Mare Tranquillitatis Synodic Revolution (New Moon to New Moon Period): 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 202 153 Mare Humorum 148 139 151 3 seconds 276 26 50 Mare Nubium 101 61 Average Orbital Velocity: 2,287 miles/hr 17 247 Mare Nectaris 78 83 107 334 Mare Australe Degrees of Movement in Sky & Arc Degree Size: 0.51° per hour; 12.2° per day. In 58 206 Sinus Aestuum the sky, the Moon extends an arc degree diameter that varies from 0.498° to 0.569°. 300 330 296 Sinus Medii Mare Vaporum 20 277 194 Inclination of Orbit to Earth’s Orbit: 5.1° 322 164 213 331 117 87 39 Highest Rotation Period of Nodes: 18.61 years. The nodes represent the “line” created by 57 207 309 344 Elevations the “intersection” of the Moon’s orbit to Earth’s. Its rotation plays a major role in the 283 220 98 258 frequency of eclipses. 227 342 Observing the Moon 190 332 278 Rotation Period on Axis: The rotational period is the same as the Synodic Revolution, The best times to observe the Moon the rays of craters are the most 114 218 272 263 thus the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. The Near Side of the Moon has 38 138 70 through a telescope is when the termina - pronounced. become “locked” toward Earth because it is heavier than the Far Side. tor is present, that is, the “line” separat - Around New Moon, the Moon is 297 86 235 316 54 ing the lighted side from the dark side, or a crescent and the dark side is slightly Inclination of Axis: 6.7° to its orbital plane 89 212 Lowest 182 315 312 the day side from the night side. Craters lit by reflected light from Earth called Elevations Albedo: reflects 11% of sunlight 184 337 122 289 48 appear their best (sharpest) when near Earthshine. Features on the dark side –12.6 175 16 Magnitude at Full Moon: 74 19 the terminator because the contrast from are pretty to observe in a telescope. 254 15 Temperature Range: –300° F to 266° F. Poles remain at a constant –140° F. 111 4 324 shadows makes them more pronounced. The Moon moves eastward in its orbit Far Side 290 242 295 The temperature one yard below the surface remains at a constant –31° F. 169 191 335 222 143 301 Magnifications from 40x to 250x are around Earth. On average, this results 134 292 106 recommended. in the Moon rising 50 minutes later each Surface Elevation Range: 11 miles (lowest to highest points). Both points are located 208 196 347 on the far side. The coordinates for the lowest and highest points are not known 265 The Moon is very bright and can day but this varies from 30 to 70 minutes. 241 286 99 294 192 fatigue your eye when viewing it through In one hour, the Moon moves eastward precisely but one set is as follows: lowest [70° S, 171° E], highest [3.4° N, 160° E] . 123 174 232 193 124 a telescope. Screw two polarizing filters slightly more than its diameter. The Moon’s Six Apollo Lunar Landings, 1969 to 1972 Surface Soil (Regolith) Composition: Oxygen 42%, Silicon 21%, Iron 13%, Calcium 8%, 145 171 7 178 128 333 onto the bottom of your eyepiece (most path in the sky always stays close to the Aluminum 7%, Magnesium 6% and Other 3%. The Moon’s surface has slightly more 94 165 325 257 357 68 150 eyepieces have threads) to reduce the Ecliptic (and the zodiac), the path that the Iron, Calcium and Magnesium than on Earth’s surface. 115 179 Apollo 15 52 195 Apollo 14 253 280 154 light intensity. These can be rotated to Sun makes through the stars. Age & Origin: 4.5 billion years old. The most accepted theory of the Moon’s origin is 183 142 February 5, 1971 July 30, 1971 199 vary the amount of light that gets through. Over a month’s time, the Moon’s dis - 155 5 108 Scott, Irwin, Worden that it formed when a Mars-sized object colliding with Earth “shortly” after the for - 149 97 215 The Moon is disappointing to observe tance from the Earth varies by 31,250 miles Shepard, Mitchell, Roosa 313 188 104 328 214 209 mation of our Solar System 4.6 billion years ago. This catastrophic impact caused the 11 2 around Full Moon. During this time, the because its orbit is elliptical. This causes 43 163 96 256 93 Mars-sized object, along with part of Earth’s crust and mantle, to break up into 84 entire surface, along with most features, the size of the Moon in the sky to vary by Apollo 17 90 197 10 323 49 338 pieces that formed a ring orbiting Earth and shortly afterward coalesced to form the 359 9 Apollo 12 34 88 gets “washed out.” However, at this time, about 14%. December 11, 1972 211 141 73 November 19, 1969 Moon. Crustal and mantle materials from the Earth have been identified in the Moon 136 23 Cernan, Schmitt, Evans 1 238 3 303 Conrad, Bean, Gordon rocks retrieved from the Apollo landings, lending support to this theory. 60 27 129 230 100 249 271 189 45 327 273 64 75 353 65 302 120 53 Apollo 11 Terminology 203 170 177 Mountains & Associated Features The commander’s name 281 47 185 274 259 is listed first. The astronaut July 20, 1969 Craters. Huge bowl-like depressions. Most are the result of cracks, fractures or col - 109 67 135 255 168 349 275 157 listed last remained aboard Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins 228 287 14 351 264 Promontorium Laplace Montes Recti of the craters were formed from asteroid or lapses in the maria. Regolith. A fine grained 298 the Command Module that 340 267 314 “Straight Range” Montes orbited the Moon. Apollo cometary impact that ended about 3 2 billion “soil” that covers the surface of the Moon 160 8 341 105 144 Promontorium Teneriffe Montes 13’s mission was aborted Apollo 16 127 348 245 288 318 Montes years ago. Maria & Terrae. The dark and created from the bombardment of the sur - 198 345 Heraclides Alpes en route to the Moon on 285 354 137 356 205 Jura April 21, 1972 light surface coloration visible to the naked face by sand-size micrometeorites. Its depth 69 79 30 250 140 76 Montes April 13, 1970 after an 200 319 oxygen tank ruptured. Young, Duke, Mattingly eye. The darker and smoother plains are varies from 6 2 to 26 feet in the maria, and to 284 132 Montes Spitzbergensis 236 63 121 293 Apenninus Montes known as maria (the “seas”) and the a possible 49 feet in the highlands. Rays. 81 304 221 Monthly Names 158 233 131 251 Caucasus brighter cratered highlands are called terrae Bright streaks that radiate from some 152 252 320 59 Montes 118 — terms coined by Galileo. The terrae have craters. They represent lighter, reflective of the Moon 110 244 225 352 Harbinger 226 350 176 Montes 119 248 Six, 364-feet tall Saturn V rockets (A) stays that lasted 22 to 75 hours. The Lunar the highest concentration of craters and are material, ejected during the formation of Recent 307 336 266 305 Montes Taurus 201 31 181 launched three astronauts at a time on a 4 2 Roving Vehicle (D) was used on missions 15, older than the maria.