A Face In Space Flashcards
What percentage of the Moon is NOT seen from Earth?
41% percent
How long does the moon take to orbit on it’s own axis?
The moon takes 29 1/2 days to orbit on it’s axis the same amount of time to orbit around the Earth.
Who invented the first telescope?
Galileo Galilei
What did Galileo Galilei observe of the Moon with the Telescope?
- large, dark and flat areas called maria (sea)
- dark shadows that appeared to be made by mountains up to 6km high
- numerous craters
When did Galileo Galilei use the telescope?
1610
Timeline of important moon events
1610- Galileo Galilei observed the moon with a telescope
1850s Astronomers took the first photographs of features of the moon.
1959 Luna 2 (USSR) became the first space probe to reach the moon when it crashed into the surface.
1959 Space probe Luna 3 (USSR) provided the first pictures of the previously unseen far side of the moon.
1964 Space probe Ranger 7 (USA) took the first close-up pictures of the moon.
1966 Luna 9 (USSR) became the first space probe to make a soft landing on the moon and take pictures from the surface.
1969 Apollo 11 (USA) carried three astronauts and the lunar lander Eagle to and from the moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. They spent three hours collecting soil and rocks, performing experiments and setting up equipment for further experiments.
1969–1972 Apollo missions 12 and 14–17 (USA) successfully reached the moon, enabling more experiments to be completed. Apollo 13 failed, stranding the three astronauts in space. The astronauts were able to return safely to Earth by using the fuel and oxygen stored in their lunar lander.
What happened on the 20th of July 1969?
Neil Armstrong stepped down from the lunar landing craft Eagle.
Profile of the Moon
Natural satellite of the Earth
Distance from Earth: 385 000 km (three days by spacecraft)
Diameter at equator: 3475 km (Earth’s diameter is 12 750 km)
Period of orbit around Earth: about 29½ days
Period of rotation about its own axis: about 29½ days
Surface gravity: about one-sixth that of Earth
Surface temperature: ranges from −175°C in darkness to 125°C in sunlight
