Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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Our
timekeeping system is based on the ____. a. | sidereal day | c. | phases of the moon | b. | solar
day | d. | Earth's
tilt | | | | |
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2.
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Earth's tilt in combination with its orbit around the Sun cause the
____. a. | tides | c. | seasons | b. | full moon | d. | Coriolis effect | | | | |
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3.
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The
sequential changes in the appearance of the Moon are called ____. a. | lunar
eclipses | c. | lunar
tides | b. | lunar phases | d. | lunar positions | | | | |
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4.
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A
lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through Earth's ____. a. | atmosphere | c. | shadow | b. | orbit | d. | umbra | | | | |
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5.
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People who see a partial solar eclipse are located in the ____ portion of the Moon's
shadow. a. | umbra | c. | apogee | b. | perigee | d. | penumbra | | | | |
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Matching
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Match
each item with the correct statement below. a. | reflecting telescope | i. | synchronous rotation | b. | albedo | j. | autumnal
equinox | c. | solar eclipse | k. | ejecta | d. | perigee | l. | winter solstice | e. | interferometry | m. | ecliptic | f. | spinoff | n. | regolith | g. | apogee | o. | mare | h. | summer solstice | | | | |
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6.
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Plane of
Earth’s orbit about the Sun
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7.
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Material
blasted out during impacts that falls back to the Moon’s surface
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8.
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A dark,
smooth plain on the surface of the Moon
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9.
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Process of
linking separate radio telescopes to act as one
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10.
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Earth’s
position near or on December 21, at which the northern hemisphere has its minimum daylight
hours
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Short Answer
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11.
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Which
theory of the Moon's formation is based on Earth's gravity? What is the problem with this
theory?
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12.
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What
is the commonly accepted theory regarding the Moon's formation? How does it explain the absence of
water in the rocks that make up the Moon?
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13.
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List
the phases of the Moon, beginning with a full moon.
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Study the
photograph of the Moon. Then answer the questions.
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14.
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What is
feature D and how did it form?
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15.
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Which
feature is a mountain range?
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16.
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Compare and
contrast the type, appearance, and formation of features A and C.
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17.
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Why is the
Moon’s surface so heavily pitted with craters, while Earth’s is not?
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18.
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How would
conditions on Earth be different if Earth were not tilted on its axis? Explain your
answer.
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19.
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How would
conditions on Earth be different if Earth were tilted on its axis at an angle of 60°? Explain your
answer.
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20.
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The drawing
below shows several impact craters on the Moon. Which of the three labeled craters is the oldest?
Explain your answer.
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Problem
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21.
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Referring to the illustration above, from which direction is the sunlight shining? How
can you tell?
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22.
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Of
craters A and B in the illustration above, which is older? How do you know?
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In
its orbit around the Moon, the Lunar Prospector spacecraft spent 19 months collecting
data. From January, 1998, to July 31, 1999, the craft—about the size of an oil
drum—performed at a high level of efficiency, according to Alan Binder, mission
researcher.
One device on Lunar Prospector was a neutron
spectrometer. When cosmic rays from space hit the surface of the Moon, sprays of neutrons and other
particles result. When the neutrons mix with the soil layers on the Moon, they lose various amounts
of energy depending on what elements make up the soil. Hydrogen, one of the elements needed to form
water, takes away more energy than other elements.
Lunar Prospector flew over the Moon's north and south poles
many times. These regions are cold and shadowed, receiving only a small amount of the sun's light or
heat. The spacecraft's neutron spectrometer measurements showed large amounts of hydrogen in the
surface soil at the poles. More studies are needed to confirm what this might or might not mean in
terms of a possible water supply existing on the Moon. The spacecraft also gathered data that suggest
the Moon has a small iron-rich core. It is much smaller than the iron core of Earth.
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23.
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Did
Lunar Prospector prove there is water on the Moon? Why or why not?
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24.
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If
there is water near the poles on the Moon, in what form do you think it would be found—liquid,
gas, or ice? Why?
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25.
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In
terms of the data on the Moon's core, which theory of the Moon's origin seems to be supported by
Lunar Prospector’s findings? Explain.
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