The Moon

The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth and the only other body in the Solar System to have been visited by humans. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of the Moon on 20th July 1969. A total of twelve men walked on its surface, the last being Gene Cernan on December 19th 1972.

The Moon has no magnetic field, but a faint reading in the rocks suggests that it may have had one billions of years ago, this implies a core that is rich in iron. The interior is separated into three different areas, a possible molten core, a mantle and a crust. There seems to be no plate tectonics, and all of the surface features were created by impacts. The Moon has many craters, but also has large flat plains called “maria.” These are thought to be caused by huge lava flows filling up particularly large craters.

The chemicals that make up the lunar rocks is very similar to those on Earth, suggesting that they may both have been formed from the same object. The latest research suggests that the Moon was formed when a huge rock, about the size of Mars, smashed into the young Earth. This vapourised a large area of the planet and sent material into orbit around the Earth that slowly condensed to form the Moon.

There is no life on the Moon, and up until a few years ago there was thought to be no water. However, NASA’s spacecraft Clementine and Lunar Prospector have found evidence that there may be ice in the permanently shadowed craters at the north and south poles.

		Planets Introduction
		Mercury
		Venus
		Earth
		Mars
		Jupiter
		Saturn
		Uranus
		Neptune
		Pluto
		Asteroids
		Comets
		Meteorites
		Extra-Solar Planets

Authors: Carolyn Brinkworth and Claire Thomas

Last updated: July 2001