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Moon: Our natural satellite
by G.K Smith
Category : Education |
Moon is our only natural satellite. It is the brightest object in the night sky and it orbits the Earth. The diameter of the moon measures 3476 kilometers. Its average distance from the earth is 384.405 kilometers. Its orbit is not a perfect circle, so its distance from the earth fluctuates. This means that its speed also fluctuates. A full circle of various phases of the Moon takes 29, 5 days. When the moon gets closer to the earth, it is faster, when it is further away, it is slower. The rotation of the moon sometimes lags behind the orbit and at that time we can see a small portion of its other side.
The core of the moon is probably metallic. It may be composed of several kilometers of heavy iron mass, which would explain the existence of several magnetic regions on the moon. However, we have not yet been able to prove it.
As we all know, there is no life outside our planet, at least we have not yet found. The same applies with Moon; there is no life on it. Even though the Moon is the brightest object on night sky, the light is not created in the Moon but it is sunlight reflected from the surface of the Moon. We do not have any detailed knowledge concerning the moon's interior. We do know that its solid crust consists of a rocky material similar to granite. Its mantle, underneath the crust, also consists of rock. It is bombarded by meteorites, because of which the ground is full of impact craters. The largest crater on Moon, which has also said to be the largest crater in our solar system, is the South-Pole Aitking Basin.
The moon is easy to locate and it can be seen without any equipment. In order to see more, one should start with binoculars, which helps to see better the craters of the Moon. With a good telescope one can see the craters very closely. If you watch the moon close to Equator, you can see it also on daytime on a clear sky. Every time we see the moon a little different. The reason is, that every night the moon is illuminated by the sun in a slightly different way and every time it reflects earth's light differently.
When there is "new moon" the moon is invisible, because the side facing the earth does not receive any sunlight. Full moon occurs when the earth is exactly between the sun and the moon. Then the side that is facing the earth is completely illuminated. Sometimes the moon enters the earth's shadow and is invisible to our eye. This is called lunar eclipse.
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