The Far Side of the Moon

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

The Far Side of the Moon In 1968, astronauts on Apollo 8 saw something that no other human had seen before. They saw the far side of the moon for the first time. The far side of the moon always faces away from Earth. Before 1968, people had only seen pictures of the far side of the moon. A Russian spacecraft took pictures of the far side of the moon in 1959. The spacecraft was called Luna 3. It took black- and-white pictures of the far side of the moon. The pictures showed that the far side is Before 1968, people had only seen pictures of the similar to the near side of the far side of the moon. moon. The near side of the moon always faces Earth. The moon completes one orbit around Earth about every 28 days. The moon also rotates, just like Earth. The moon completes one rotation about every 28 days. The moon has a unique orbit. The moon takes the same amount of time to orbit the Earth as it does to rotate. This is why the same side of the moon always faces the Earth. Astronauts have never visited the far side of the moon. The last time an astronaut walked on the near side of the moon was in 1972. In 2006, NASA announced plans to send astronauts to the far side of the moon. When they land, they will be the first humans to walk on the side of the moon we never see. Discovery Education Science © Discovery Communications, LLC .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Insights from the Thorium Abundance Distribution in South Pole-Aitken Basin
Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVIII (2007) 1697.pdf DID A KREEP-LIKE COMPONENT EXIST ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON?: INSIGHTS FROM THE THORIUM ABUNDANCE DISTRIBUTION IN SOUTH POLE-AITKEN BASIN. J. J. Hagerty1, D. J. Lawrence1, B. R. Hawke2, R. C. Elphic1, T. H. Prettyman1, and W. C. Feldman1, 1Los Alamos National Laboratory, ISR-1, MS D466, Los Alamos, NM 87545, email: [email protected]. 2University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822. Introduction: Most models for the evolution of materials on top of those basalt ponds. These results the Moon predict that 99% fractional crystallization of provide important information that help us to evaluate a lunar magma ocean will produce a layer of melt en- the source of Th enhancements in SPA basin. riched in incompatible elements such as K, REE, and P Forward Modeling: As part of the forward model- (i.e., KREEP) [1]. The lateral extent and distribution of ing process, we re-create a specific portion of the lunar this “KREEP” layer, which contains an abundance of surface in which we can control the Th abundances of heat-producing elements such as Th and U, is currently specific geologic features [12,13]. We must also know a matter of debate. However some workers [2] have what Th abundances can be reasonably assigned to any proposed that the surficial distribution of Th, which given feature and/or lithology, which is why we use has been measured on a global-scale [3,4,5], can be analyses from the lunar sample suite to constrain the used as a proxy for determining the global distribution upper and lower bounds of our Th estimates.
[Show full text]
Scientists Provide New Explanation for the Far Side of the Moon's Strange
PRESS RELEASE Source: ELSI, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan For immediate release: June 22, 2020 Title: Scientists provide new explanation for the far side of the Moon’s strange asymmetry Subtitle: Earth’s Moon has a ‘near side’ that is perpetually Earth‐facing and a ‘far side’, which always faces away from Earth. The composition of the Moon’s near side is oddly different from its far side, and scientists think they finally understand why. Release summary: The Earth‐Moon system’s history remains mysterious. Scientists believe the two formed when a Mars‐sized body collided with the proto‐Earth. Earth ended up being the larger daughter of this collision and retained enough heat to become tectonically active. The Moon, being smaller, likely cooled down faster and geologically ‘froze’. The apparent dynamism of the Moon challenges this idea. New data suggest this is because radioactive elements were distributed uniquely after the catastrophic Moon‐forming collision. Full‐text release: The Earth‐Moon system’s history remains mysterious. Scientists believe the two formed when a Mars‐sized body collided with the proto‐Earth. Earth ended up being the larger daughter of this collision and retained enough heat to become tectonically active. The Moon, being smaller, likely cooled down faster and geologically ‘froze’. The apparent early dynamism of the Moon challenges this idea. New data suggest this is because radioactive elements were distributed uniquely after the catastrophic Moon‐ forming collision. Earth’s Moon, together with the Sun, is a dominant object in our sky and offers many observable features which keep scientists busy trying to explain how our planet and the Solar System formed.
[Show full text]
Spacecraft Deliberately Crashed on the Lunar Surface
A Summary of Human History on the Moon Only One of These Footprints is Protected The narrative of human history on the Moon represents the dawn of our evolution into a spacefaring species. The landing sites - hard, soft and crewed - are the ultimate example of universal human heritage; a true memorial to human ingenuity and accomplishment. They mark humankind’s greatest technological achievements, and they are the first archaeological sites with human activity that are not on Earth. We believe our cultural heritage in outer space, including our first Moonprints, deserves to be protected the same way we protect our first bipedal footsteps in Laetoli, Tanzania. Credit: John Reader/Science Photo Library Luna 2 is the first human-made object to impact our Moon. 2 September 1959: First Human Object Impacts the Moon On 12 September 1959, a rocket launched from Earth carrying a 390 kg spacecraft headed to the Moon. Luna 2 flew through space for more than 30 hours before releasing a bright orange cloud of sodium gas which both allowed scientists to track the spacecraft and provided data on the behavior of gas in space. On 14 September 1959, Luna 2 crash-landed on the Moon, as did part of the rocket that carried the spacecraft there. These were the first items humans placed on an extraterrestrial surface. Ever. Luna 2 carried a sphere, like the one pictured here, covered with medallions stamped with the emblem of the Soviet Union and the year. When Luna 2 impacted the Moon, the sphere was ejected and the medallions were scattered across the lunar Credit: Patrick Pelletier surface where they remain, undisturbed, to this day.
[Show full text]
MOON PHASES Session 1: the Four Steps Note: Wait for Instructions Before You Start Answering the Questions Here!
Name: ______________________________ WWT ThinkSpace Moon Phases MOON PHASES Session 1: The Four Steps Note: Wait for instructions before you start answering the questions here! 1. How is the Moon lit up? a. What do you think lights up the Moon? ____________________the Sun b. The diagram below shows an overhead view of the Moon. Shade the part of the Moon that you think will be dark (leave the lit part of the Moon white/unshaded). Sunlight shining from this direction overhead perspective (space-based perspective) DARK Moon c. How much of the Moon is lit at any time ____________________half < write as a fraction > d. Why is the dark part of the Moon dark? (respond below) _________________________________________________________________The dark part of the Moon is dark because all of the Moon’s light comes _________________________________________________________________from the Sun, and this is the side that faces away from the Sun 2. Follow 4 STEPS to ﬁgure out the Moon’s phase Sunlight is shining from this direction facing awayMoon from EarthDARK facing Earth Overhead perspective NOT to scale Earth DARK Overhead Perspective (space-based perspective) Step 1 Shade the part of the Moon (and Earth) that appears dark from overhead. Step 2 Draw a line that divides the Moon into the halves facing Earth and facing away from Earth. Label the two sides of the Moon (“facing Earth” / “facing away from Earth”). Step 3 Describe the side of the Moon facing Earth. Circle one of the ﬁve choice below ALL DARK MOSTLY DARK HALF-LIT/HALF-DARK MOSTLY LIT ALL LIT Earth-Based Perspective Step 4 Use the overhead view above to imagine what the Moon looks like from Earth.
[Show full text]
Lesson 4: 28 Days and the Dark/Far Side of the Moon (Taken from Episode 3: 6.1.1—28 Days and the Dark Side of the Moon)
Lesson 4: 28 Days and the Dark/Far Side of the Moon (Taken from Episode 3: 6.1.1—28 Days and the Dark Side of the Moon) Strand 6.1 Standard 6.1.1 Big Idea Structure Develop and use a model of the Sun-Earth-Moon The moon appears and Motion system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, to change shape within the eclipses, of the Sun and Moon, and seasons. Examples over time in a Solar System. of models could be physical, graphical, or conceptual. cyclical pattern. Title Time CCCs Practices 28 Days and the 40 minutes Cause Develop model Dark/Far Side of the and Moon Effect Phenomenon: : The moon changes shape in a cyclical pattern over the course of 28 days, but, on Earth, we only see one side of the moon. Materials • The Moon Complete Cycle Chart Complete Moon Phases Chart • Youtube Video: Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j91XTV_p9pc • Web page: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of- science/wp/2015/02/09/nasa-gives-us-an-amazing-look-at-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/ • Journal Teacher Directions Gathering Obtain Information 1. Pass out or show on a screen the Complete Moon Phases Chart. Students will make observations from the Complete Moon Phases Chart and then discuss their observations with partners. 2. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j91XTV_p9pc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j91XTV_p9pc and then discuss their observations with partners. Ask Questions 1. During and after observations, give students time to discuss and ask Questions about their observations based on what they see that is the same on all the moon phases.
[Show full text]
FARSIDE Probe Study Final Report
Study Participants List, Disclaimers, and Acknowledgements Study Participants List Principal Authors Jack O. Burns, University of Colorado Boulder Gregg Hallinan, California Institute of Technology Co-Authors Jim Lux, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Andres Romero-Wolf, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Technology Institute of Technology Lawrence Teitelbaum, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Tzu-Ching Chang, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Institute of Technology Jonathon Kocz, California Institute of Technology Judd Bowman, Arizona State University Robert MacDowall, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Justin Kasper, University of Michigan Richard Bradley, National Radio Astronomy Observatory Marin Anderson, California Institute of Technology David Rapetti, University of Colorado Boulder Zhongwen Zhen, California Institute of Technology Wenbo Wu, California Institute of Technology Jonathan Pober, Brown University Steven Furlanetto, UCLA Jordan Mirocha, McGill University Alex Austin, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Disclaimers/Acknowledgements Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The cost information contained in this document is of a budgetary and planning nature and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute a commitment on the part of JPL and/or Caltech © 2019.
[Show full text]
TEXTO a Flashes on the Moon Scientists Across the World Are
INSTRUCCIONES GENERALES Y VALORACIÓN UNIVERSIDADES PÚBLICAS DE LA COMUNIDAD Después de leer atentamente el examen, responda de la siguiente forma: DE MADRID EVALUACIÓN PARA EL ACCESO A LAS ENSEÑANZAS • elija un texto A o B y conteste EN INGLÉS a las preguntas 1, 2, 3 y 4 asociadas al texto elegido. • responda EN INGLÉS una pregunta a elegir entre las preguntas A.5 o B.5. MODELO UNIVERSITARIAS OFICIALES DE GRADO ORIENTATIVO Curso 2020-2021 TIEMPO Y CALIFICACIÓN: 90 minutos. Las preguntas 1, 2 y 4 asociadas al texto elegido se calificarán sobre 2 puntos cada una, la pregunta 3 asociada al texto elegido sobre 1 punto y MATERIA: INGLÉS la pregunta elegida entre A.5 o B.5 sobre 3 puntos. QUESTIONS TEXTO A A.1 Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks Flashes on the Moon are given for only TRUE or FALSE. a) The flashes on the moon happen just once a week. Scientists across the world are puzzled as to why there are flashes appearing on b) Scientists have been observing moon flashes for almost 50 years. the surface of the moon. They refer to them as “transient lunar phenomena”. This (Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos) unusual phenomenon has been happening several times a week. Sometimes the A.2.- In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do flashes of light are very short, while at other times the light lasts longer. Scientists not copy from the text. have also observed that on occasion, there are places on the moon's surface that a) Mention two theories that could explain this phenomenon.
[Show full text]
Warm-Up 145 Traveling Companion Name
The Moon: Earth’s Warm-Up 145 Traveling Companion Name: What is the Moon? What is important about it? of years ago . One of the mountains on the How did the Moon end up where it is? The Moon has remained unchanged over hundreds Moon and Earth were formed at the same time . of millions of years . It is almost as tall as Mount This happened about 4 .6 billion years ago . Everest on Earth . An astronaut’s footprint on the Earth and the Moon make a yearly journey Moon may survive clearly for 100 million years . together around the Sun . At the same time, the The Moon looks big to someone observing it from Moon orbits Earth about every 28 days . This is Earth . However, it is much smaller than Earth . where the idea of the month came from with It has a diameter of 2,160 miles . By comparison, people long ago . the diameter of Earth is nearly 8,000 miles long . The Moon was probably caused by a collision in Because the Moon has no atmosphere or air, the space more than four billion years ago . Earth temperature can rise to 260 degrees F . This is and the Moon are very different . The Moon has about twice as hot as the highest temperature on no atmosphere of air or anything else . It does Earth . The lowest temperature on the Moon can OON M not have any gases or visible water . The be -280 degrees F . This is over 300 degrees : surface gravity of the Moon is very weak .
[Show full text]
Moonstruck: How Realistic Is the Moon Depicted in Classic Science Fiction Films?
MOONSTRUCK: HOW REALISTIC IS THE MOON DEPICTED IN CLASSIC SCIENCE FICTION FILMS? DONA A. JALUFKA and CHRISTIAN KOEBERL Institute of Geochemistry, University of Vienna. Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria (E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]) Abstract. Classical science fiction films have been depicting space voyages, aliens, trips to the moon, the sun, Mars, and other planets, known and unknown. While it is difficult to critique the depiction of fantastic places, or planets about which little was known at the time, the situation is different for the moon, about which a lot of facts were known from astronomical observations even at the turn of the century. Here we discuss the grade of realism with which the lunar surface has been depicted in a number of movies, beginning with George Méliès’ 1902 classic Le Voyage dans la lune and ending, just before the first manned landing on the moon, with Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Many of the movies present thoughtful details regarding the actual space travel (rockets), but none of the movies discussed here is entirely realistic in its portrayal of the lunar surface. The blunders range from obvious mistakes, such as the presence of a breathable atmosphere, or spiders and other lunar creatures, to the persistent vertical exaggeration of the height and roughness of lunar mountains. This is surprising, as the lunar topography was already well understood even early in the 20th century. 1. Introduction Since the early days of silent movies, the moon has often figured prominently in films, but mainly as a backdrop for a variety of more or (most often) less well thought-out plots.
[Show full text]
December 2018 the Monthly Newsletter of the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club
December 2018 The Monthly Newsletter of the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club More on Edited by Adam Thanz this image. See FN1 Chapter 1 Cosmic Reflections William Troxel - BMAC Chair More on this image. See FN2 William Troxel More on Cosmic Reflections this image. See FN3 December is here. It is hard to believe that this is the last month December’s constellation winner is Sagitta. This month's of 2018. It seems like yesterday you voted for me as your new constellation is a new one for me. Jason was telling me about it. chairman. We have had a good six months. The annual picnic, My interest was peaked so I had to research this new StarFest and StarWatch events all have been wonderful. The constellation for myself. Of course, you know it is not a new weather has been much better for us, then it was in the spring constellation at all. It was first catalogued in the 2nd century by session, so we have seen a lot more of the public and that is a the greek astronomer Ptolemy. good thing. There are 3 different myths associated with this very small November’s program showcased our own Jason Dorfman as the constellation. The story is told that this is the arrow that was speaker. Jason always does a wonderful job when he shares his used by Heracles to kill the eagle Zeus sent to gnaw at knowledge, this time was no exception. Jason used the Prometheus’ liver. Prometheus was a sculptor that moulded men planetarium to explain how coordinates are used to help and women out of clay in the likeness of Gods and gave them catalogue stars.
[Show full text]
Lunar Outgassing, Transient Phenomena and the Return to the Moon, III: Observational and Experimental Techniques” Crotts, A.P.S
Lunar Outgassing, Transient Phenomena and The Return to The Moon I: Existing Data Arlin P.S. Crotts Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 ABSTRACT Transient lunar phenomena (TLPs) have been reported for centuries, but their nature is largely unsettled, and remains controversial. In this Paper I the database of TLP reports is subjected to a discriminating statistical filter robust against sites of spurious reports, and produces a restricted sample that may be largely reliable. This subset is highly correlated geographically with the catalog of outgassing events seen by the Apollo 15, 16 and Lunar Prospector alpha-particle spectrometers for episodic 222Rn gas release. Both this robust TLP sample and even the larger, unfiltered sample are highly correlated with the boundary between mare and highlands, as are both deep and shallow moonquakes, as well as 220Po, a long-lived product of 222Rn decay and a further tracer of outgassing. This offers a second significant correlation relating TLPs and outgassing, and may tie some of this activity to sagging mare basalt plains (perhaps mascons). Additionally, low-level but likely significant TLP activity is connected to recent, major impact craters (while moonquakes are not), which may indicate the effects of cracks caused by the impacts, or perhaps avalanches, allowing release of gas. The majority of TLP (and 222Rn) activity, however, is confined to one site that produced much of the basalt in the Procellarum Terrane. Since this Terrane is antipodal to the huge South Pole-Aitken impact, it seems plausible that this TLP activity may be tied to residual outgassing from the formerly largest volcanic effusion sites from the deep arXiv:0706.3949v1 [astro-ph] 27 Jun 2007 lunar interior.
[Show full text]
Moon: the 8Th Continent
Moon: the 8th continent Moon: the 8th continent HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT 2025 HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT 2025 FINAL REPORT OF THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT VISION GROUP 11 DECEMBER 2003 “EARTH IS THE CRADLE OF MANKIND, BUT ONE CANNOT LIVE IN THE CRADLE FOR EVER.” KONSTANTIN TSIOLKOVSKY “EXPLORATORY SPACEFLIGHT PUTS SCIENTIFIC IDEAS, SCIENTIFIC THINKING, AND SCIENTIFIC VOCABULARY IN THE PUBLIC EYE. IT ELEVATES THE GENERAL LEVEL OF INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY.” CARL SAGAN. 1 Contents Foreword . 5 The Human Spaceflight Vision Group . 7 The Brief and the Vision . 9 Human Spaceflight: The Story So Far . 11 The Future Vision . 13 The Vision and Europe . 15 Realising Europe’s Strategic Objectives . 17 Connecting to Europe’s Culture . 23 Spaceship Earth . 25 The Scientific Case . 31 Geology . 33 Life Sciences: Beyond the ISS . 37 The Moon as an Observational Platform . 39 Economic Elements of a Moon Base . 41 How To Achieve The Vision: Technology Roadmap . 43 How to Achieve the Vision: Reaching the Stakeholders . 49 How to Achieve the Vision: The First Steps . 51 Conclusions . 53 The Visionaries . 54 HSVG Support Group . 56 Acknowledgements . 57 Further Reading . 58 11/12/2003 Characteristics of the Moon . 60 Working at the Moon Base . 63 Copyright: ©2003 European Space Agency. 3 Foreword Since the Space Age began less than 50 years ago, the case for the step-by-step establishment of a permanent human world’s leading industrial nations have made tremendous stri- base on the Moon by 2025. des in meeting the challenges of sending humans into orbit. It is an ambitious vision which goes far beyond the paro- There have been many advances, including the introduction of chial requirements of the human spaceflight programme and the Space Shuttle, the construction of modular space stations addresses the ways in which our political and cultural heritage, and the successful creation of a European space industry.
[Show full text]