Transcript Slide 1 - burleyrocks

Earth’s Moon - Luna
Lunar surface features
There are 5 basic surface features
C
R
A
T
E
R
Named
after famous
scientists.
Copernicus
Tycho
All lunar
surface
features are
formed
through
impacts
The lunar surface gets impacted a lot!
In fact, the frequency of impacts is what
scares NASA the most about the dangers of
a permanent moon base.
A lack of atmosphere leaves the surface
unprotected against the smallest and largest
of meteors.
Lunar
regolith
The lunar surface is
heavily bombarded by
meteorites.
Each impact pulverizes
the lunar rock and
crushing it into finer
and finer dust.
As a result, the finest
particles of regolith
are very clingy.
Astronaut have had
trouble dealing with
this property.
New Scientist article
2. Ray rocky ejecta
Impact did not pierce
the lunar crust
Copernicus and Tycho crater
3. Highlands
Mtn. ranges and
the edges of
craters
Formed due to
impact stresses on
the crust
“rebound”
Crust rebounds
and forms a
highland after
some impacts
Maria
Formed when lava spewed to the surface
through fractures made by early, giant impacts
As the crust
Of the moon
Cooled, large
Objects
Impacted the
Surface and
Pierced
through
The crust.
Lava then
Filled the
Crater and
Solidified,
Creating
“oceans” of
Basaltic rock.
Rille
Surface feature where
hot lava has drained
along the lunar
surface following an
impact
All result from impacts!
highlands
maria
Crater w/ rays
Could Earth’s Moon have water locked up
inside its rocks? Samples brought back
from the Apollo Moon mission may indicate
that the answer is yes. Water may be
locked up in volcanic glass beads within
the rocks.