Term
| Why did we go to the moon (2 reasons)? |
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Definition
1. To bring back samples and find absolute ages of rocks
2. To win the Space Race |
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Term
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Definition
The race agents russia (the soviets) to arrive at the moon first.
Russia was winning until Kennedy changed the rules and decided to go straight to the moon |
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Term
| How many missions were there to land on the moon? |
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Definition
7 but only 6 of them landed
Apollo 13 had to go home without landing |
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Term
| What are the two requirements for landing spots on the moon? |
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Definition
It must be on the equator, otherwise it takes too much energy to come home.
It must be on the side of the moon facing the earth, otherwise we would loose radio contact with the shuttle. |
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Term
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Definition
Landed on smooth flat Mare
Planted a flag and grabbed some rocks
Rocks were all basalt as expected
3.6 Byrs |
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Term
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Definition
Landed on a new region of Mare to see if all Mare is the same age.
Prfected their landing technique
Brought home basalt that was 3.2 Byrs .
Therefore not all Mare is the same age. |
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Term
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Definition
| Had technical troubles and did not land on the moon. They all lived and made a movie about it staring Tom Hanks. |
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Term
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Definition
Landed at the Apollo 13 spot
Landed on ejecta from the Imbrium basin hoping to find the age of the basin
Found impact Breccia 3.8 Byrs.
The Imbrium basin is 3.85 Byrs |
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Term
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Definition
Landed on the rim of the Imbrium basin.
Astronaughts were trained to be geologists.
Brought a car with them and traveled far.
Found Pristine Highland Rock and Basalt. |
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Term
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Definition
Low viscosity (runny)
Lava flows that are similar to Hawaii.
Rocks are full of air bubbles (vesicles)
Makes up the Mare lava flows. |
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Term
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Definition
Impact rock
When meteorite hits it shatters the rock then melts it back together into breccia.
It is often older then basalt. |
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Term
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Definition
First found on Apollo 15 and named the genesis rock.
Very low density
Made the original crust of the moon.
Implies the Lunar Magma Ocean.
Makes the Highland regions |
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Term
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Definition
In the moons past its top layer was multant hot making a magma ocean.
Like oil and water when you try to mix rocks of different densities they separate based on density.
The less dence rock foated to the top creating the Pristine Highland Rock.
More dence rock floated to the bottom. |
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Term
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Definition
Only one to land on the moons Highlands
Expected to find volcanoes and volcanic material.
Found Pristine Highland Rock (4.4 Byrs) and Impact Breccia.
Highlands are made of original crust of moon and LOTS of impacts |
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Term
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Definition
Took a geologist along, he went crazy on the surface of the moon.
Found examples of Pristine Highland Rock, Breccia, and Basalt.
Geologist threw his hammer at the end. |
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Term
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Definition
1. Origin
2. Differentiation 4.5-4 Byrs
3. Heavy Late Bombardment 4-3.8 Byrs
4. Geologic Activity 3.8-2 Byrs
5. The Big Chill 2-now |
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Term
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Definition
A time period in the solar systems past when large meteorites were colliding with all of the planets.
About 3.8 Byrs ago |
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Term
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Definition
The powdery rock that covers the surface of the moon.
It is ground into a powder from all of the meteorite impacts. |
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Term
| The density of the moon is 3.34. What is it made out of? |
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Definition
| Mostly rock with a tiny bit of iron |
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Term
| The moment of inertia of the moon is 0.393. Is the moon homogenous (a uniform sphere) or differentiated? |
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Definition
Almost a uniform sphere
(0.40 would be a uniform sphere) |
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Term
| What are the 7 Earth-Moon system constraints? |
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Definition
They are facts about the Relationship between the earth and the moon that will determine how they formed.
1. Mas of the Moon
2. Earth-Moon angular momentum
3. Moon orbit inclination
4. Lack of volatiles
5. Similar oxygen isotope ratios
6. Lack of an iron core
7. Magma ocean |
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Term
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Definition
| The moon is very large in relation to the earth, most satellites (moons) are much smaller when compaired to the size of their planets. |
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Term
| 2. Earth-Moon angular momentum |
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Definition
Angular momentum = mass X radius X velocity
of an object moving in a circular path.
Like when an ice scatter brings their hands to turn faster if a moon moves closer to a planet they will spin faster.
The Earth-Moon angular momentum is larger then most |
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Term
| 3. Moon orbit inclination |
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Definition
| Most satellites orbit their planets along the planets equator. Our moon orbits the earthat an angle, off the earths equator. |
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Term
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Definition
| More volatile substances evaporate at lower temperatures. The higher the temperature more volatiles will evaporate |
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Term
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Definition
The earth and the moon are both lacking similar volatiles.
This means that in their past they must have been heated to a similar temperature |
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Term
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Definition
The earth and moon have a similare ratio of oxygen isotopes.
This ratio acts as a fingerprint
This means they were formed from the same material or at least have a similar past |
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Term
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Definition
Atoms with the same number of protons (so they are the same type of atom) but with different numbers of neutrons.
They exist in specific ratios that differ from planet to planet so they act like a finger print for the planet |
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Term
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Definition
| The moon lacks an iron core. |
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Term
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Definition
| The pristine highland rock tells us that the moon must have had a multant crust at some point that caused it to be differentiated |
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Term
| The 4 theories of the Earth-Moon origin |
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Definition
1. Co-accretion
2. Capture
3. Fission
4. Giant Impact |
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Term
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Definition
Collisional growth of objects.
Small objects come together to form larger and larger objects |
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Term
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Definition
The moon and earth accreted material side by side, growing until they became what they are now.
This would mean that they have a shared history and were made out of similar material. |
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Term
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Definition
| The moon traveled too close to the earth and got pulled in by it's gravitational pull. The earth captured the moon. |
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Term
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Definition
Earth must be moltant ot and spinning fast
Earth spins so fast that a piece blobs off to become the moon. |
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Term
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Definition
Mars sized impactor slammed into the earth.
Materials get mixed together
The debris accretes to become the moon |
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Term
| What are the two reason that the moon is important to the earth? |
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Definition
1. It stabilizes the earth as it rotates so that the earth wobbles less on it's axis. It acts like a gyroscope.
2. It causes the tides on earth and ultimately slows the earth in its rotation lengthening the days. |
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Term
| How would you fine the age of a surface on the moon without traveling there and bringing back a rock? |
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Definition
| Determine the crater density by making a crater density plot and compare it to another part of the Moon with a similar crater density whose age has been determined by returned samples. |
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