PRESENTATION

To observe a total lunar eclipse click on the moon.         

The above pictures show two different types of vehicles used
to gather information upon the lunar surface.

Top: Lunokhod 1; robotic roving vehicle, used in 1970 to explore Mare Imbrium.
Bottom: Modularied Equipment Transporter (MET); hand-drawn carrier for tools and lunar samles, used in 1971.
Source:  The Lunar Sourcebook, p. 523

History of Lunar Exploration  

Mission	Launch Date	Accomplishment
Luna 1	01/02/59	first lunar flyby
Luna 2	09/12/59	first lunar impact
Luna 3	10/04/59	first photos of farside
Ranger 3	01/26/62	missed moon by 36,793 km
Ranger 4	04/23/62	crashed  on farside
Ranger 7	07/28/64	impact lander
Luna 5	05/09/65	crashed on moon
Luna 8	12/03/65	crashed on moon
Luna 9	01/31/66	first lunar soft landing
Luna 10	03/31/66	first lunar satellite
Surveyor 1	05/30/66	first soft-landed robot laboratory
Explorer 35	07/19/67	lunar satelitte
Surveyor 7	01/07/68	soft-landed robot laboratory
Zond 5	09/14/68	first flyby and return
Apollo 8	12/21/68	first humans orbit moon
Luna  15	07/13/69	crashed on moon
Apollo 11	07/16/69	first humans on moon (07/20/69)
Luna 16	09/12/70	first  robot sample return
Luna 17	11/10/70	first robot rover
Apollo 12	11/14/69	second human landing
Apollo 13	04/11/70	aborted human landing
Apollo 14	01/31/71	third human landing
Apollo 15	07/26/71	fourth human landing
Luna 19	09/28/71	lunar satellite
Apollo 16	04/16/72	fifth human landing
Apollo 17	12/07/72	sixth human landing
Luna 21	01/08/73	robot lunar rover
Luna 24	08/09/76	third robot sample return

Apollo missions: United States
Luna missions: the former Soviet Union
 Source:  The Lunar Sourcebook,  p.7
 

Moon's Orbital Path

When the dark hemisphere of the moon is facing the earth and the moon is mot visible, this phase is new moon.  As the moon continues in its orbit, we see the moon as a slim crescent, called waxing crescent moon.  The next phase reached is first quarter moon, when half of the moon is illuminated.  The moon continues along its orbit passing through the next phase called waxing gibbous moon.  Soon after, the moon is fully illuminated at full moon.  After the full moon, the moon begins waning, or decreasing illumination while orbiting to the next new moon.  The first phase reached after a full moon is waning gibbous moon.  Next comes last quarter, when the left half of the moon is illuminated.  A few days after, we see the moon again as a slim crescent, in waning crescent moon.  The moon continues in its orbit again to reach new moon.   The orbital period of the moon takes 27.3 days.

Source: Universe; fifth edition, pp. 51-53
 

Lunar Rocks

Terrae

• Original mantle
• Light in color
• Composed of light elements (Silicon, Calcium, and Aluminum)
• 85% of lunar surface
• Accounts for little of moon's actual mass
• Extends 1000km below surface

Image taken in Hawaii of different aged magma flows. The darker the flow the more recent. The is comparable to the terrae and mare of the moon.

Maria ("MAR-ee-uh")

Translation of Latin is Sea

Formed when crust weakened from planetesmal collision allowing magma to reach surface

Cooled on top of older crust tera

Dark in coloring

Composed of heavey elements (Iron, Manganese, and Titanium)

15% of lunar surface

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/planet_volcano/lunar/mare/m_mosc.htm

 This is an image of the impact basin Mare Moscoviense on the lunar farside. You can see clearly the distinction between the mare and the terrea.

 

 

Lunar Formations

Domes

Remnants of magma vents

Size ranges from less than a mile to more than 22 miles

Generally found in clusters

Have a slight slope

This is an image taken in Hawaii of volcanic domes near Mauna Keaua.

Craters

http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/images/simp/simp_S06.gif

This is an example of an impact crater on Earth in the Arizona desert.

• Caused by impacts of planetary objects
• Shock waves always produce circulaar craters
• Two types (Complex or Simple Craters)
• Size ranges from 100km across to a couple cm across
• Depth ranges from several hundred of feet  to a couple cm

http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/science/bessel.gif

This is an image of an impact crater on the near side of the moon.

 

Simple craters are mostly small, rounded craters, though some have a flat bottom.  As the diameter of craters increases, they tend to become more shallow, and the walls and floors of the crater are ridged.

Source: The Lunar Sourcebook, p. 62
 

Culture

Influences on Native American Life

   In the ancient culture of Native Americans, the moon served as a timekeeper and calendar, a schedule to plant and harvest crops by, an indicator for prime hunting times, and served as a mythological icon for folklore and ritual.

Detailed accounts of births, deaths, eclipses, comets, and other events recorded by ancient people are accurate with their counting by the moon.

Native Americans knew that certain crops, either above ground crops or root crops, could be planted during certain phases of the moon for optimal produce .

 Hunting parties set out in search of meat during full moons, when there would be the maximum amount of light overhead, and animals such as deer were very active, and therefore easier to locate.
 
Coastal tribes used the moon to capture as much fish as possible, knowing that sea life reproducing in synch with full moons were vulnerable, and often out of water and easily collected.

It is commonly known among Native American cultures that tribal women share a special bond with the moon.  A typical Native American myth assigns the moon as a female entity, and many refer to the moon as Grandmother Moon.

The connection between the moon and women in Native American culture is strong, and is an important part of the identity of contemporary Native women.

The Native Americans of today continue to honor the moon as a celestial spirit, and value the moon as a reminder of a civilization lost.