Gourt > Science > Astronomy > Solar System > Earth > Moon (2)
| The Moon as seen from Earth | |||||||
| Orbital characteristics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orbital circumference | 2,413,402 km (0.016 AU) | ||||||
| Eccentricity | 0.0554 | ||||||
| Perigee | 363,104 km (0.0024 AU) | ||||||
| Apogee | 405,696 km (0.0027 AU) | ||||||
| Revolution period | (Sidereal period) 27.321 66155 d (27 d 7 h 43.2 min) | ||||||
| Synodic period | 29.530 588 d (29 d 12 h 44.0 min) | ||||||
| Avg. Orbital Speed | 1.022 km/s | ||||||
| Max. Orbital Speed | 1.082 km/s | ||||||
| Min. Orbital Speed | 0.968 km/s | ||||||
| Inclination | varies between 28.60° and 18.30° (5.145 396° to ecliptic) see below | ||||||
| Longitude of the ascending node | regressing, 1 revolution in 18.6 years | ||||||
| Argument of perigee | progressing, 1 revolution in 8.85 years | ||||||
| Is a satellite of | Earth | ||||||
| Physical characteristics | |||||||
| Equatorial diameter | 3,476.2 km (0.273 Earths) | ||||||
| Polar diameter | 3,472.0 km (0.273 Earths) | ||||||
| Oblateness | 0.0012 | ||||||
| Surface area | 3.793 km2 (0.074 Earths) | ||||||
| Volume | 2.1958 km3 (0.020 Earths) | ||||||
| Mass | 7.347 673 kg (0.0123 Earths) | ||||||
| Mean density | 3,346.2 kg·m−3 | ||||||
| Equatorial gravity | 1.622 m·s−2, (0.1654 gee) | ||||||
| Escape velocity | 2.38 km·s−1 | ||||||
| Rotation period | 27.321 661 d (synchronous) | ||||||
| Rotation velocity | 16.655 km·h−1 (at the equator) | ||||||
| Axial tilt | 1.5424° to ecliptic see Orbit | ||||||
| Albedo | 0.12 | ||||||
| Magnitude | -12.74 | ||||||
| Surface temp. | |||||||
| min | mean | max |
|---|---|---|
| 40 K | 250 K | 396 K |
Carbon dioxide
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It has no formal name other than "The Moon", although in English it is occasionally called Luna (Latin for moon), or Selene (Greek for moon), to distinguish it from the generic "moon" (natural satellites of other planets are also called moons). Its symbol is a crescent. The terms lunar, selene/seleno-, and -cynthion (from the Lunar deities Selene and Cynthia) refer to the Moon (aposelene, selenocentric, pericynthion, etc.).
The average distance from the Moon to the Earth is 384,403 kilometers (238,857 miles). The Moon's diameter is 3,476 kilometres (2,160 mi). Reflected sunlight from the Moon's surface reaches Earth in 1.3 seconds (at the speed of light).
More on [ Moon ]
Colonization :: Space
Space :: Exploration
Millionaire Follows Dad's Footsteps — Into Space
Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:41:00 -0400
Richard Garriott, a famous video game developer, is paying millions of dollars for a ride on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station. He has wanted to go to space since he was a kid. His father and all of his neighbors were NASA astronauts. It's the first time the child of an American astronaut will blast off into space.
Young Galaxy's Magnetic Field Is Surprisingly Strong
Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:53:00 -0400
Current models indicate that the magnetic fields that enclose galaxies grow slowly over billions of years. But scientists have used a telescope to peer back millions of years in time and discovered a distant galaxy with a magnetic field at least 10 times the average strength.
SpaceX Celebrates First Successful Rocket Launch
Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:53:00 -0400
SpaceX's flagship Falcon1 rocket has successfully launched from an island in the central Pacific, becoming the first privately-developed rocket to orbit the planet. NASA has already contracted SpaceX to begin private space flight missions to the International Space Station beginning in 2010.
Computer Malfunction Delays Hubble Mission
Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:31:00 -0400
NASA has postponed a planned repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope after a new problem developed with the orbiting observatory. Ed Weiler, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, explains why repairs won't take place until Feb. 2009 — at the earliest.
For Young Chinese, Spacewalk An Indicator Of Might
Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:05:00 -0400
China on Saturday will become only the third nation — after Russia and the United States — to carry out a spacewalk. The event will be broadcast live nationwide. This milestone underscores China's technological achievements and is boosting national pride.
Solar Winds, Crucial To Life On Earth, Decreasing
Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:45:00 -0400
Solar winds — invisible gas plasma emitted by the Sun — protect the solar system from cosmic rays that are hostile to terrestrial life. But new data from the Ulysses NASA probe indicate solar wind output is lower than has ever been previously documented.
Atlas of the Moon - Interactive Moon atlas (hotspots) with links to 237 close-up images. [Also in German]
Dyson's Animated Moon - Interative moon map (Flash based) with brief information about various features.
Meta Description: [ Where is the Ocean of Storms? How big is the crater Tycho? Fly over features, learn lunar geography, and test your knowledge with puzzles by Home on the Moon (National Geographic, 2003) author Marianne Dyson. ]
Earth-Moon Dynamics Page - Extracts from five papers studying Earth-Moon dynamics relating to evolution and gravity topics.
Geologic Lunar Research Group - Resource for all lunar observers interested in geologic, dome and TLP research. Some content in Italian.
Interactive Map of the Moon - The visible and the hidden side. Includes games and basic information about the satellite and the lunar missions.
Meta Description: [ Interactive Moon Map. Try it! It's very
intresting! ]
Keith's Moon Page - A collection of facts, phases, folklore and photographs.
Meta Description: [ A collection of moon facts, moon phases, moon folklore, moon photos along with full moon dates, lunar eclipses, apollo landing sites, lunar calendar, calculate your moon weight, and blue moon info ]
Lunar Volcanoes - An Introduction to Lunar Domes by Nigel Longshaw, an illustrated description of these features including characteristics and observation history.
404
Lunarama - A personal collection of links, with brief comments.
Lunarsat Info Page - Multimedia presentation of the European space mission to investigate the south pole for its suitability for the first permanent human outpost.
Meta Description: [ The first spacecraft to investigate the
suitability of the Moon's South Pole areas
for a permanent human presence. ]
Moon Page - Some facts, quotations, trivia chosen at random.
Moon Stereogram Demonstration - Demonstration as to why the Moon appears larger when nearer the horizon than when high in the sky.
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Moon Survey - Tips for observing our satellite and drawing lunar features. Data archive, pictures, movies and selected links also available.
MoonBase7 - Facts, missions, phases, news, links. Also dedicated to the space in general and robotics.
NSSDC Photo Gallery: Moon - Select images from various space probes and telescopes.
Meta Description: [ NSSDC Photo Gallery: A collection of popular and frequently requested imagery from NASA's data archive ]
NYTimes.com - Moon's Dust Hides a Throbbing Heart - Laser-ranging measurements indicate that the moon is a bit flexible, hinting at a molten interior. [Requires free NYTimes.com registration to view.]
SMART-1: ESA's Mission to the Moon - Official mission site includes articles, images, FLASH presentation, PDF brochures, etc.
Meta Description: [ SMART-1 is the first of ESA’s Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology. It is heading for the Moon using solar-electric propulsion and carrying a battery of miniaturised instruments. As well as testing new technology, SMART-1 will make the first comprehensive inventory of key chemical... ]
Space.com: More Moons Around Earth? - Article describing the asteroid Cruithne, and orbital motions at gravitational balance points in space that temporarily pull asteroids into Earth orbits.
Meta Description: [ Earth has a second moon, of sorts, and could have many others, according to three astronomers who did calculations to describe orbital motions at gravitational balance points in space that temporarily pull asteroids into bizarre orbits near our planet. ]
Summer Moon Illusion - An explanation of the illusion that the Moon, low on the horizon, is actually bigger then when seen higher in the sky.
The Captive Moon - Offers overview article including exploration history and cultural history.
The Moon Illusion Explained - Why our satellite looks big at the horizon and smaller when higher up.
Meta Description: [ Finally! Why the moon looks big at the horizon and smaller when higher up ]
The Moon Museum - A tour made on the 30th anniversary of the first lunar landing.
Meta Description: [ The MOON Project is a full-screen, immersive Mutual Reality Web-DVD made on the event of the 30th Anniversary of Humankind's First Moon Landing. ]
The Solar System in Action: Moon - General information about the satellite, the eclipses and the phases, presented in a popular language.
Meta Description: [ Mercury, from ORRERY: the Solar System in action. Closest planet to the Sun, yet second hottest! ]
What's a Blue Moon? - From Sky and Telescope magazine. Explains what it is and when the phenomenon happens.
Meta Description: [ A mistake in a 1946 issue of Sky & Telescope changed pop culture and the English language in unexpected ways. ]
404
Woman in the Moon - Several features of lunar landscape combined can be seen as a profile of a woman.
Meta Description: [ Tufts is recognized as a premier university dedicated to educating new leaders for a changing world. Superb teaching and world-class research equip graduates to address multi-faceted challenges around the globe. ]
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