“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting out ideas. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” –Samuel Ullman
Etched into the face of the moon are battle wounds that showcase what the moon has gone through in the last 4.5 million years. A smiling face is what we see every night as we look out our window. Sadly there is not a man on the moon smiling down on us. The moon is made out of is craters, dark plans and rock. These all left behind from volcanic eruptions and collisions from objects in space. Each of the scars tells us a story of how the moon is now what it is today.
A team from California Institute of Technology displays their findings of the moons roughness, its hills and smoothness. The way that they collected this information is from LOLA (the Lunar Orbiter Laser Alimeter). The team leader Meg Rosenburg has figured out that the roughness of the features on the moon gives us an estimated age of the moon. Scientists have figured this out by looking at the bumpiness of the moon in long and short scales. They have constantly measured the slope of the moon to create a finished map of the moon which shows us the range of the different scales of the moon. The team has concluded that the older craters are the ones that are more uneven and the craters that are smoother are younger. "It is remarkable that the moon exhibits a great range of topographic character: on the extremes, surfaces roughened by the accumulation of craters over billions of years can be near regions smoothed and resurfaced by more recent mare volcanism," mentions Oded Aharonson, Meg Rosenburg's consultant at CIT.
With this information scientists can detect extremely important clues about how the moon was created. Already scientists have concluded that a basin on the moon called the Orientale Basin exposes precious remains of materials from a colossal object that slammed into the moon many years ago. The information also helps scientists figure out the high and low point of the moon. "By looking at both together, we can say that one part of Orientale is not just higher or lower, it's also differently rough," Rosenburg says. "That gives us some clues about the impact process that launched the debris and also about the surface processes that later acted to modify it."
As we gradually learn more and more about the moon we will answer many of the unknown questions we have regarding our solar system. In time we will start to learn about the Marias and creators of the moon this will give us knowledge on how the earth started. Maybe in a couple of years we will not be studying the moon but maybe Mars or Jupiter. As the years go on more and more answers will be found leading us in to a world of more questions.
Sites Used:
SCINCEDAILY. "Moon's Rough 'wrinkles' Reveal Clues to Its past." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. ScienceDaily, 15 May 2011. Web. 28 May 2011. .
Eclipses= the light from the sun or the moon is going to be blocked for a period of time.
Eclipses occur when the sun or the moon's lineament are in front of each other.
There are two types of eclispes: Solar and Lunar
Lunar eclipses happen more often, when the moon passes through the earths shadow- this is when the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the earth.
Solar eclipse when line up just right. This is when directly between the sun and the earth.
Solar eclipses are very rare, the next predicted solar eclipse is in 2012. Usually the solar eclipses only happen every few years.
The last solar eclipse was in 2010, and the next total solar eclipse will be November, 2012
How to view a solar eclipse:
Viewing a Total Eclipse
1
Locate the small area of the world where the eclipse will occur - a band about 100 kilometers thick that stretches around half the planet. In most cases, you will have to travel to a point on the band to see the total solar eclipse.
2
Join a group, if you can, that has at least one expert or veteran eclipse chaser. They can instruct you on the proper and best methods of enjoying the eclipse, and they can make sure you end up in the right place for the eclipse.
3
Take along a small telescope or binoculars, which will reveal fantastic details not seen with the eye. A total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes. During that time you can look directly at the sun without any filters.
4
Wear a long-sleeved shirt, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, and have something refreshing to drink if you plan to say out during the entirety of the total solar eclipse (and the partial eclipses before and after).
5
Expect a partial eclipse prior to the total eclipse. It will last over an hour. After the total eclipse will be another partial eclipse for over an hour.
6
Notice, before and after totality, strange shadow effects visible on lightly colored, flat surfaces. These are called shadow bands. Not everyone sees the shadow bands; they are hard to spot.
7
Lie in a recliner or deck chair or on a blanket. The best way to view a total solar eclipse is from a lounge chair that allows you to look up at the sun comfortably. A blanket spread on a hillside will work well, too.
8
Try to relax, and be ready to see a lot as totality approaches and the sun becomes a sliver of light.
9
Feel the temperature drop noticeably. There will be a slight chill in the air.
10
Watch for birds, insects and other animals. They will think it is time to go to bed.
11
Watch to the West as totality gets closer. You may be able to see the shadow of the moon sweeping toward you at over 1,800 miles per hour. As the shadow silently sweeps over you, it will get as dark as being outside during a full moon.
12
Wait until someone yells, "Diamond ring," or "Second contact." Then it is safe to look at the sun.
13
See the last bit of the bright sun going out and the corona shining around the dark moon. This is called the diamond-ring effect.
14
Look for the bright red dots around the edge of the moon. These are called prominences. Binoculars will greatly improve your view, as will a small telescope.
15
Look for the white crown of light around the moon. This is called the corona.
16
Look to the north and south poles of the sun - the corona will be shaped in a brushed fashion.
17
Look at the east and west edges of the sun - the corona will have streamers reaching out.
18
Look for bright planets and stars briefly.
19
Look at the horizon and sky color. You will see sunset all around going to twilight sky toward the eclipsed sun.
20
Watch as new prominences grow out of the opposite side of the moon as the total eclipse nears completion. A brilliant diamond-ring effect will appear at the end of the eclipse. The sun's shadow will race off towards the east.
For the model, place the flashlight about one meter from Earth.
Place the moon between Earth and the sun.
Observe the moon as if you were standing on Earth.
Sketch the appearance of the moon in your notebook from four point positions.
Move the moon 1/4 of the way around Earth in a counterclockwise direction.
Sketch your observations. Do the same with the moon 1/2 of the way around and 3/4 of the way around Earth.
Place the moon again between Earth and the sun.
Observe Earth and the moon from "space" (a position directly above Earth).
Record your observations of the moon. Move the moon 1/4 of the way around Earth in a counterclockwise direction. Record your observations of the moon around the Earth. Do the same for 1/2 of the way around Earth and 3/4 of the way around Earth.
This is an example of full moon.
This is an example of a new moon!
The arrows represent the sun light coming from the one and only SUN!! You can see the changes of the moon positions in orbit. This effect the amount of sun that is reflected off of the moon to the earth.
This is another example, just the sun light coming from the other side of the earth.
This is a diagram of the moon as if we were looking at it from the earth. The forth moon is a NEW MOON, the sunlit side faces away from the earth. The third moon is the First Quarter- you can see half of the sunlit side of the moon. The second moon is called the Full Moon- the entire sunlit side faces Earth. The first Moon is the THIRD Quarter- the picture flip-flopped the picture so it is backwards.
This is an example of a new moon!
This is an example of the First Quarter Moon:
A first Quarter Moon:
This is a picture of the third phase of the moon.
What did you notice about the phases of the moon?
I noticed that the phases of the moon are very slow, it takes 29.9 days for the moon to revolve around the earth. I have also noticed that the moon has 4 main cycles it reminds me of a clock. I have also learned that we cannot see the other side of side of the moon. The moon is about 4.6 million years old, which is about as old as the Earth. During this exploration I learned that the moon doesn't produce its own light, it actually reflects off of the sun. Depending on where the moon is located people on earth see the moons different shapes.
Why do we see different parts of the moon each night?
As the moon revolves around the earth it reflects light from the sun. Depending on the position of the moon in relation of the sun, that is how we see the different shapes of the moon. The more light received from the sun the bigger the shape of the moon. When the moon starts to go off away from the sun, we start to see less and less of the sun.
What is a lunar month? A lunar month is the complete cycle of the moon revolving around the earth. This is what we see as a month, after going through all eight cycles it is time to start again. It takes approximatively 29. 9 days for a full cycle, rounded, the moon takes 15 days to complete 1/2 of the cycle.
How does the moon, sun and Earth interact to cause so many things to occur? As the planets orbit around in their paths they are constantly moving, varying in different relations to each other. Without the different phases of the moon, earth, and sun we would not have a sustainable earth. Life would not be possible, one side of the earth would be sun baked and the other would be frozen. With out the moon we would not have tides, with out the earths tilt we would not have seasons. With out the sun we would be in total darkness and living organisms would not be possible. What causes an eclipse and tide? An eclipse is when the earth and the moon block each from the sun. When an object in space comes in between the sun and a third object it then casts a shadow on that certain object. That is the definition of a eclipse. Tides is the rise and fall of the ocean water , this occurs every 12.5 hours. (Rises and falls every 6 hours.) This is caused by the differences in how much of the moon's gravity pulls on the different polls of the Earth.
How does the tilt of Earth’s axis affect the light received by Earth as it revolves around the sun? Hypothesis: As the earth tilts towards the sun the light received is directed toward the earth making one hemisphere summer and the other hemisphere winter.
Materials:
·-books
·-flashlight
·-paper
·-pencil
·-protractor
·-toothpick
·-acetate sheet with thick grid lines drawn on it
·-plastic foam ball marked with poles and equator
Procedure
1.Make a pile of books about 15 cm high
2.Tape the acetate sheet to the head of the flashlight. Place the flashlight on eh pile of books.
3.Carefully push a pencil into the South Pole of the plastic foam ball, which represents Earth.
4.Use the protractor to measure a 23.5 tilt of the axis of your Earth away from your “flashlight sun,” as shown in the top diagram. This position represents winter in the Northern Hemisphere/.
5.Hold the pencil so that Earth is steady as this 23.5 angle and about 15 cm from the flash-light head. Turn the flashlight on. Dim the room lights.
6.The squares on the acetate should show up on your model Earth. Move the ball closer if necessary of dim the room lights more. Observe and record the shape of the squares at the equator and at the poles.
7.Carefully stick the toothpick straight into your model Earth about halfway between the equator and the North Pole. Observe and record the length of the shadow
8.Without changing the tilt, turn the pencil to rotate the model Earth once on its axis. Observe and record how the shadow of the tooth picks changes.
9.Tilt your model Earth 23.5 toward the flashlights, as shown in the bottom diagram. This is summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Observe and record the shape of the squares at the equator and at the poles. Observe how the toothpick’s shadow changes.
10.Rotate the model Earth and note the shadow pattern.
Observations:
When looking at the globe with the longitudinal/latitude lines the light stretches the lines to fit the globe. In the center of the globe around the equator the squares are equal boxes. Around the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere the boxes are longer because the light stretches them.
Toothpick observations: During Winter
When the Earth is tilted away from the sun the shadow from the toothpick is about 1 cm long. It is a
very distinct shadow. When the Earth is in its rotation throughout the day the length of the shadow changes. The shadow is at longest stretch when in the middle of the day. As it turns away from the light (almost dusk) this means that the shadow gets shorter before going into complete darkness (nighttime). As the Earth’s rotation turns toward the sun the shadow gradually becomes longer because it receives more sunlight (early morning). Then at the middle of the day- 12:00 pm it is at its longest stretch. After that shadow recedes.
Toothpick observations: During Summer
When in the summer the Northern Hemisphere gets the most amount of sunlight because the Earth is tilted towards it. Just like in winter, as the toothpick/earth turn towards the sun a shadow appears. It gets longer throughout the day, however the shadow that the toothpick produces is significantly longer that the shadow in the winter. This is because again the light is directed at the Northern Hemisphere. In the middle of the day the shadows is the longest because that is the time when it gets the most directed sunlight.
Analyze and Conclude
1.When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which areas on the Earth get the most concentrated light? Which areas get the most concentrated light when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere?
In the winter of the Northern Hemisphere the areas on the Earth that get the most light are areas around the equator. Areas around the equator have a lot of direct sunlight even when it is winter or summer. In the summer of the Northern Hemisphere the light is directed a little more above the equator meaning more of the Northern Hemisphere gets heat. In the winter the light is a directed a little below the equator, which means that the people in the Southern Hemisphere get more sunlight than the Northern Hemisphere people.
2.Compare your observations of how the light hits the area halfway between the equator and the North Pole during winter and during summer.
During the summer months the shadow is a lot longer, which means that there is more sunlight directed at that area. When doing the experiment I observed that the shadow line was significantly longer than in the winter months. In the winter the shadow is shorter because there isn’t a lot of concentrated sunlight, which means a shorter shadow.
3.According to your observations, which areas on Earth are consistently coolest? Which areas are consistently warmest? Why?
On Earth, places that are consistently cool are the poles. This is because they do not get a directed amount of sunlight, if it does it's only for a short period of time because the of the rotation of the Earth. The areas on Earth that are consistently the warmest are countries around the equator. This is because the equator gets the most amount of directed sunlight.
4.What time of year will the tooth pick’s shadow be the longest? When will the shadow be shortest?
In the winter the toothpick’s shadow is very short, and in the summer the shadow is very long. This is because of the limited amount of sunlight we have in the winter. This is the reason why we have daylight savings time, because we want to save our precious daylight in the winter. We go back to standard time in the summer because we have enough sunlight so we don’t need to save the light. In the summer the days are long, and in winter the days are short.
5.What time of year will the toothpick’s shadow be longest? When will the shadow be shortest?
In the winter the shadow will be the shortest, and in the summer the shadow will be the longest. This is because in the summer the days are long and the days in winter are short.
6.How are the amounts of heat and light received in a square related to the angle of the sun’s rays?
The square grids represent how much heat and light that are received in a designated area on Earth. With the grid we can have a small picture of where on earth the sun hits the most.
7.Use your observations of an Earth-sun model to write and explanation of what causes the seasons.
The seasons are separated into two dominate seasons and two less dominate seasons. Winter and summer are the very dominate seasons, during a year the earth tilts either towards the sun or away from the sun. During the winter both hemispheres have a short amount of daylight, in the summer the days are longer. Seasons are created because of the Earth’s rotation and revelation, without this one part of the earth would be lifeless and the other part would be sun baked. Seasons are very important to us now and especially thousands of years ago. The change between summer, fall, winter, and spring provided the creation of farming and the calendar. Without seasons there would no reason to be on this planet because it is useless. What is important about seasons is that we learned about them thousands of years ago so we know have advanced knowledge about how seasons work.
Further Inquiry
I was thinking about Global Warming today while I was completing this experiment. I wonder if Global Warming is caused not only by green house gasses but also the slowed of the earth’s revolution around the sun. I doubt that that is really what is triggering it, but it would be interesting to look into. This year winter didn’t really start until late December, the weather was really nice, and now it is May and it feels like March weather. It is weird weather, I hope we figure out the answer before it is too late.
Seasons:
This is a great video about the basics of seasons- the narrator has a slow voice so it is perfect for studying.
