Astronomy 1A Name: _________________________

Section: _________________________

Moon
1. A friend of yours claims that NASA faked the Moon landings, because no stars can be seen in
the photos taken from the surface of the Moon. Therefore, according to their argument, the
photos were taken against a backdrop in a studio, and not the Moon. What would you tell
your friend to rebut this idea?
Your friend's assertion that the Moon landings were staged because there were no stars in the
pictures may be refuted by pointing out that the Apollo astronauts' cameras were programmed to
take short exposure times in order to capture the Moon's brilliant surface. The dim light from
faraway stars proved dif cult to catch because the Sun's illumination swamped the surface's
strong brightness. Furthermore, stars wouldn't look as brilliant from the Moon as they do from
Earth because it lacks an atmosphere to disperse light.

2. Another friend of yours claims that NASA faked the Moon landings because a photo of the
Apollo 11 ag shows a ripple in it. As ags can only ripple in the wind, and as the Moon has
no air, the photo must have been taken on Earth where there is an atmosphere. What would
you tell your friend to rebut this idea?
Regarding the rippling ag, you may respond to your friend's claim by explaining that the Apollo
ights utilized ags that were kept stretched by a horizontal support rod across the top. Instead of
wind movement, the ripples in the cloth are caused by astronauts bending the agpole to fasten it
to the lunar surface. Because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, there isn't any air to produce wind
or for the ag to ripple like it does on Earth.

3. Why do moonquakes occur more frequently when the Moon is at perigee than at apogee?
Because the Earth's gravitational pull is stronger while the Moon is at perigee, there are more
frequent moonquakes during that time. Seismic activity may result from stress in the Moon's
crust brought on by this increased gravitational pull. This gravitational pull is less pronounced
during apogee, when the Moon is further away, and there are fewer moonquakes.

4. Rocks found on the Moon are between 3.1 and 4.47 billion years old. Rocks found on the
Earth are anywhere from 200 million years old to 4 billion years old. If the Earth and the
Moon are the same age, why is there such a difference in the ages of the rocks?
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Geological activity is responsible for the discrepancy in rock ages, even though the Earth and the
Moon originated at around the same time. Younger rocks are the result of tectonic processes,
erosion, and material recycling that have continually renewed and reshaped the Earth's crust. The
Moon, on the other hand, has maintained its old surface materials due to its far lower geological
activity. Consequently, rocks from the Moon's early history—between 3.1 and 4.47 billion years
old—remain on the planet.

5. How would you characterize the history of cratering on the moon?

The Moon's cratering history is marked by a high density of impact craters, the majority of which
originated around 4 billion years ago during the Late Heavy Bombardment era. We can examine
a record of impacts throughout the Moon's history since these craters have stayed mostly
unaltered due to the absence of an atmosphere, weather, and tectonic activity.

6. What are two characteristics of lunar rocks that suggest the moon formed by a collision
where the lunar rocks were exposed to high temperatures?

Ventifacts and Glassy Textures: Some lunar rocks were exposed to extreme heat because they
contain glass and were created by lava cooling quickly.
Mineral Assemblages at High Temperatures: Lunar rocks frequently include minerals like
anorthite, which are only stable at high temperatures, suggesting that they were generated from
molten material during or after the collision that formed the Moon.

7. Regolith on the moon is sharp and jagged, whereas sand on Earth is rounded and smooth.
What processes are acting on the Earth to create smooth sand that are not acting on the
moon?

Ventifacts and Glassy Textures: Some lunar rocks were exposed to extreme heat because they
contain glass and were created by lava cooling quickly.

Mineral Assemblages at High Temperatures: Lunar rocks frequently include minerals like
anorthite, which are only stable at high temperatures, suggesting that they were generated from
molten material during or after the collision that formed the Moon.
8. The moon is differentiated. Did the moon differentiate early on right after the moon was
formed, or later when the moon had cooled? (Hint: see the Planetary Evolution homework)
Early on after its formation, when it was still molten, the Moon most certainly underwent
differentiation. The Moon would have undergone this differentiation while it was still cooling
from the massive collision that formed it. Heavy materials would have sunk and lighter materials
would have risen due to melting brought on by the impact's heat, creating a distinct structure.