First things first; what is a satellite? A satellite is an object that moves around a larger object. Earth is a satellite because it moves around the sun. The moon is a satellite because it moves around Earth. Earth and the moon are called "natural" satellites. But usually when someone says "satellite," they are talking about a "man-made" satellite. Man-made satellites are machines made by people. These machines are launched into space and orbit Earth or another body in space. There are thousands of man-made satellites. Some take pictures of our planet. Some take pictures of other planets, the sun and other objects. These pictures help scientists learn about Earth, the solar system and the universe. Other satellites send TV signals and phone calls around the world Getting back to the moon....The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite. Our planet’s trusty companion is an airless, silent world without any signs of life. Because of its small size, the Moon’s force of attraction is too weak to hold the gases it would need to form an atmosphere. Without a layer of air, the Moon cannot trap the Sun’s heat to warm it at night or protect itself from too much heat during the day. This makes the Moon’s nights freezing cold and its days extremely hot. The lunar landscape has not changed much in thousands of years. The many craters that dot its surface are scars from meteorites that hit the Moon early in its history. The Moon’s vast plains are large craters filled with lava, which came out of cracks in its crust. Around these plains are hills and mountain ranges. In other craters, which are never lit, several probes have detected frozen water from comet impacts. With a bit of imagination, it’s possible to see a face when looking at the Moon with the naked eye. That is why people often say that there is a man in the Moon. The dark spots make up the eyes, the nose, and the mouth. These dark spots are, in fact, the Moon’s huge, dusty plains. Early astronomers once thought these plains were seas, and so they named them Ocean of Storms, Sea of Tranquility, and Lake of dreams. The rest of the man’s face is formed by the Moon’s hills and mountain ranges. Even though the Moon’s gravity is six times weaker than Earth’s, its force of attraction is powerful enough to pull water from Earth’s oceans up toward itself. The “bulge” or “swelling” that occurs in the ocean is called a high tide. At the same time, water is drawn away from the beaches on each side of the bulge, producing a low tide in those areas. The oceans that are facing away from the Moon also experience the same effects. That is why tides occur twice a day, as an ocean faces the Moon and as it faces away from the Moon. When the Sun and the Moon are aligned in a straight line with Earth, the tides reach their maximum height. These kinds of tides are called spring tides and occur when there is a new or a full moon. I bet surfers are excited today is a New Moon! Go surfers!
14 Comments
Sebastian
9/1/2016 04:06:52 pm
Interesting
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Lizzie (7th grade)
9/1/2016 04:14:48 pm
I loved learning about the moon last year, it was so much fun.
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Paige
9/1/2016 04:23:26 pm
That is so cool how the jet ski is on top of the wave!
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sofia
9/1/2016 05:45:11 pm
wesome
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Zaya
9/1/2016 08:15:10 pm
So cool!
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jenna
9/1/2016 08:58:51 pm
that is a lot of sattilites
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jenna
9/1/2016 08:59:30 pm
lol the pics
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Caden
9/1/2016 09:08:11 pm
HELLO!
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jenna
9/2/2016 07:24:00 am
cool
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Zaya
9/5/2016 09:43:07 am
So cool!!
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Zaya
9/5/2016 05:32:49 pm
Amazing!
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Zaya
9/6/2016 07:15:42 am
Wonderful! I love this,
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Ryan
9/27/2016 08:23:32 pm
That is super cool!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |