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Amiga Collections: Topik
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Topik - Disk 39 - Educational (19xx)(Topik Public Domain)(PD)[WB].zip
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FASTFACTS
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SOLAR-SYSTEM
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MOON
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1991-03-09
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T H E M O O N
The MOON is estimated to be about 4 1/2 Billion years old. The day
time temperatures reach 260° F (127° C). Night temperatures reach - 280° F
(-173° C). The day on the MOON is equal to the sidereal period. In other
words, the moon rotates on it's axis at the same speed as it rotates the
Earth. That is why only one side of the MOON is visable. The far side of
the MOON remained a mystery until 1959, when LUNA 3 (U.S.S.R.) sent the
first pictures back to Earth. Both sides of the MOON are heavily pitted
with craters. The largest, Imbrium Basin in the Sea of Rains, is about
700 miles across. The average crater is about 7.5 miles across. It is
estimated that there are over 500,000 craters over a mile in diameter on
the surface of the MOON.
The MOON is composed of rock and glass. An unusual discovery of tiny
microscopic glass beeds. Some returned by Apollo 11 are as large as a
grain of sand. MOON rocks contain: aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium,
oxygen, silicon and titanium. Some traces of hydrogen, helium and other
gasses were found trapped in some of the MOON rocks. Two types of rock
were found basalt and brecca. Both rocks indicate that at one time the Moon
was at least 2,200° F (1200° C), since the basalt minerals; ilmenite,
feldspar and pyroxene form at that temperature.
The MOON has almost no atmosphere. It's low surface gravity (about 1/6th
that of Earth) and excape velocity of 1-1/2 miles per second allows gasses
to leak into space.
The MOON effects the Earth with it's gravitational pull. The Earth is
pulled towards the MOON as the MOON transverses from east to west. Though
not as apparent as the ocean tides, the earth's surface is also pulled
towards the MOON.
Another interesting occurance are Eclipes. The MOON periodically comes
between the SUN and the EARTH. This is known as a SOLAR ECLIPSE. When the
EARTH comes between the SUN and the MOON, the EARTH'S shadow darkens the
MOON and is known as a LUNAR ECLIPSE.
EARTH'S SATELLITE
MEAN SIDEREAL VISUAL
NAME DISTANCE PERIOD MAGNITUDE RADIUS DISCOVERY
(miles) days hr min (miles)
MOON 238,857 29 12 44 1,080