- The Moon has dark areas, called maria surrounded by lighter colored highland areas,
called terrae. - Because the Moon is geologically inactive and doesn’t have an atmosphere, it has many
thousands of craters on its surface. - The Moon is made of many materials similar to Earth and has a crust, mantle and
core, just like the Earth.
Review Questions
- What is one piece of evidence that supports the idea that the Moon was formed by
materials that were once part of the Earth? - Why is there no weather on the Moon?
- Rusting is a process that happens when oxygen reacts chemically with iron, in the
presence of water. Can rusting occur on the Moon? Explain your answer. - What is the difference between maria and terrea?
- How much do landscape features on the Moon change over time compared to landscape
features on Earth? Explain your answer. - Why is the force of gravity on your body weaker on the Moon than on the Earth?
Vocabulary
craters Bowl-shaped depressions on the surface of the Moon caused by impact from me-
teorites.
giant impact hypothesis The idea that the Moon was formed when a planet sized object
from space collided with the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago and sent trillions of tons
of material into Earth’s orbit; the material eventually came together and formed the
Moon.
landscape The surface features of an area.
lunar Related to the Moon.
maria The dark parts of the Moon’s surface, made up of ancient basaltic eruptions.
meteorites Pieces of rock that hit the Moon, Earth, or another planet from space.
satellite A body that orbits a larger body in space.
terrae The light parts of the Moon’s surface, composed of high crater rims.