Earth's Moon
The Earth's "Moon" completes a circuit
about the Earth in a period of time that averages 27 days, 7 hours
and 43.2 minutes in duration. The period from one new Moon to the
next new Moon is 29 days, 12 hours and 44.05 minutes. The average
distance from the Moon to the Earth based upon "American
Ephemeris" is 238,857 miles. The Moon makes an elliptical
orbit with a maximum distance of 252,711 miles and a minimum
distance of 221,456 miles. The Moon has a surface area of
14,670,000 square miles. The temperature at the equator can be 260
0
F. with
the Sun at zenith to a low of minus 280 0F.
during a lunar night. The surface gravity is 1/6 that of Earth,
because the Moon's mass is equal to 1/81 that of the Earth. Would
you like to live in a hermetically sealed dome on the Moon?
Craters are the most numerous features of the Moon's surface.
Scientist estimate that the Moon has half a million craters that
are more than 1 mile wide. The Largest craters are rimmed by
mountains and have steep, terraced walls. The largest crater, the
"Imbrium Basin", is about 700 miles wide. The
mountainous areas of the Moon are scattered with huge craters.
The
"Apennine Mountains", near the "Sea of Rains",
rise to about 20,000 feet above the surface. The "Leibnitz
Mountains", near the Moon's south pole, rise to about 26,000
feet high. They are almost as tall as the highest mountains on
Earth. Clik on the Space Cruiser to see a close up of
the Moon. Some of the Moon exploration concepts can be seen on this link >
"Star-Fox Home Page"
