1. Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard planted an American flag on the moon’s surface in __________.

2. Earth’s Moon
Why does the moon’s temperature vary widely?
The lack of an atmosphere allows the moon’s surface temperature to vary tremendously.

3. Earth’s Moon
The moon’s gravity is __________ to hold onto gas molecules, which simply float away into space.
In direct sunlight, the average surface temperature of the moon is about 130°C. At night the average surface temperature plummets __________.

4. Earth’s Moon
Because there is no atmosphere, any liquid water would have long ago __________ into space.
Any water remaining on the moon must be frozen.
Evidence of __________ near the moon’s north and south poles was detected by spacecraft observations.

5. Surface Features
What features are found on the moon’s surface?
The major surface features of the moon are maria, highlands, and craters.

6. Surface Features
Maria and Highlands
__________ are low, flat plains formed by ancient lunar lava flows. They cover about 15 percent of the moon’s surface.
Light-colored areas called __________ surround the maria. The lunar highlands, which cover most of the moon's surface, are rough, mountainous regions.

7. Surface Features
These photos show features of the moon. The large, dark areas in the top photo are__________. The lighter areas surrounding the maria are __________.
The moon is covered with __________ that formed from the impacts of smaller objects.

8. Surface Features
Craters
Much of the moon’s surface is covered with impact __________. These craters are round depressions in the surface caused by the impact of high-speed __________.
Meteoroids are chunks of rock that move through the solar system.
Although meteoroid collisions still occur, most craters formed more than __________ years ago.

9. Surface Features
On Earth, most old craters disappeared as the surface was altered by __________ or collisions between __________.
On the moon, however, there is little erosion and no plate motion to alter craters.
The lunar highlands are much more heavily cratered than the maria. Older craters within the maria were covered by more recent lava flows.
Draw with you partner what this would look like.

10. Formation of the Moon
How did the moon form?
Scientists hypothesize that the moon formed after an enormous collision early in Earth’s history.

11. Formation of the Moon
About __________ years ago, the solar system was full of pieces of rocky debris, some of which were the size of small planets.
While Earth was still forming, a __________ object probably collided with it off-center.
This collision ejected a large amount of material into space.
This material orbited Earth and eventually formed the moon.

12. Formation of the Moon
The moon is thought to have formed in a spectacular __________ between the early Earth and a Mars-sized object.
Ask your partner if they believe if this happened.

13. Phases of the Moon
What causes the phases of the moon?
The moon’s phases are caused by changes in the relative positions of the moon, sun, and Earth as the moon revolves around Earth.

14. Phases of the Moon
The moon doesn’t produce its own light. It reflects light from the sun.
When you look at the moon, it sometimes appears full and bright, and sometimes appears as only a sliver.
The different shapes of the moon visible from Earth are called __________.

15. Phases of the Moon
__________ illuminates half of the moon. The phase of the moon depends on how much of the sunlit portion of the moon is facing Earth.
A full moon occurs when the moon is on the __________ of Earth from the sun.
A __________ occurs when the moon is directly between the sun and Earth. A new moon cannot be seen from Earth because the sunlit side of the moon is facing away from us.

16. Phases of the Moon
Two different views of the phases of the moon are shown in this diagram.

17. The same side of the moon always faces Earth.
Phases of the Moon
It takes about __________for the moon to complete a full cycle of phases. This period of time is known as a lunar month.
The same side of the moon always faces Earth.
This is because the moon makes one __________ rotation around its axis while making one full revolution around Earth.
You and your partner create a activity to test the phases of the moon exist.

18. Eclipses
What causes solar and lunar eclipses?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon casts a shadow on a portion of Earth’s surface.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth casts a shadow on the moon.

19. Eclipses
An __________ occurs when the shadow of one body in space, such as a planet or moon, falls on another.
For an eclipse to occur on Earth, the sun, moon, and Earth must all lie along a __________.

20. Eclipses
Eclipses do not occur every month because the plane of the moon’s orbit is tilted about __________ with respect to the ecliptic.
An eclipse occurs only when the moon crosses Earth’s ecliptic plane at the time of a new moon or full moon.

21. Eclipses Solar Eclipse
During a new moon, when the moon is between the sun and Earth, Earth may pass through the shadow of the moon.
The small cone-shaped __________ is the darkest part of the moon’s shadow.
In the umbra, the moon completely blocks sunlight.
Only people in a very narrow path across Earth’s surface see a total solar eclipse.

22. Eclipses
Surrounding the umbra is the larger penumbra, a region of shadow that is less dark than the umbra.
People within the __________ see a partial solar eclipse.

23. Eclipses Lunar Eclipse
During a full moon, when Earth is between the sun and moon, the moon may pass through __________.
Earth’s shadow has an umbra and a penumbra.
If the moon passes completely into Earth’s umbra, you see a total lunar eclipse.
If the moon passes partially through the umbra, you see a __________ eclipse.

24. Eclipses Eclipses occur only at the new moon or the full moon.
Ask your partner why?

25. Tides on Earth
What causes the tides?
Tides are the regular rise and fall of ocean waters.
Tides are caused mainly by differences in the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth.

26. Tides on Earth
The __________ force of the moon pulls more strongly on the side of Earth that faces it, and less strongly on the side that is away from it.
This difference causes the entire Earth to be __________. The effect of the moon’s gravity on the oceans is much greater than on the solid Earth.

27. Tides on Earth
The gravitational pull of the moon causes the oceans to __________ at the locations closest to and farthest from it.
As Earth rotates on its axis, __________ occur when an area moves through either of these two bulges.
Most coastal areas experience __________ high tides and two low tides each day.

28. Tides on Earth
The sun also has a gravitational effect on the oceans, but its tidal effects are only about __________ those of the moon.
During a new or full moon, the sun, moon, and Earth are in a straight line.
The combined forces produce a __________, where the change between daily high and low tides is the greatest.

29. Tides on Earth
When the moon is in its first or third quarter, the moon and the sun are pulling the Earth at right angles.
The result is a __________, where there is the least change between daily high and low tides.

30. Tides on Earth
During spring tides, the pulls of the moon and sun add together.

31. Tides on Earth
During spring tides, the pulls of the moon and sun add together.
During neap tides, the moon and sun pull Earth and its oceans at right angles.
Have you ever experience a tide and what do you think it feels like? Check your partner.

32. Why do temperatures on the moon’s surface vary greatly?
Assessment Questions
Why do temperatures on the moon’s surface vary greatly?
There is no gravity on the moon.
The moon orbits about Earth.
The uneven, rocky surface of the moon creates large shadow regions.
There is no atmosphere on the moon.

33. Assessment Questions
What are the round impact depressions that cover much of the moon’s surface?
maria
craters
lakebeds
meteoroids

34. Assessment Questions
What hypothesis about the formation of the moon is supported by much of the data currently available?
The moon was a large asteroid captured by Earth’s gravity.
The moon formed when a planet-sized body collided with Earth.
Internal stresses caused the early Earth to split into the moon and Earth.
Earth and the moon formed together from a planetary nebula.

35. Assessment Questions
A lunar eclipse can occur when the moon is between the sun and Earth. True False