Download 19-4 Earth’s Moon (pages 680–683)

19-4
Earth’s Moon (pages 680–683)
1. Describe features found on the moon’s
surface.
2. Identify some characteristics of the
moon.
3. Explain how the moon formed.
Nasa's Tour of the Moon
The Moon’s Surface (page 681)
1. DESCRIBE FEATURES FOUND ON THE MOON’S
SURFACE.
Key Concept: Features on the moon’s
surface include maria, craters, and
highlands.
A telescope makes faraway objects
appear closer.
The moon’s surface has dark, flat areas
called maria (MAH ree uh). Maria are flat
areas of hardened rock.
Craters are large, round pits on the moon.
Craters were caused when meteoroids
crashed into the moon. A meteoroid is a
chunk of rock or dust from space.
Highlands are mountains that cover most
of the moon’s surface.
telescope
Characteristics of the Moon (page 682)
Key Concept: The moon is dry and
airless. Compared to Earth, the moon is
small and has large variations in its
surface temperature.
There is no air on the moon. The moon has
no atmosphere.
The moon is about one-fourth the
diameter of Earth.
Temperatures on the moon range from
very hot to very cold.
The moon
has no
liquid
water.
cold
The Origin of the Moon (page 683)
Key Concept: Scientists theorize that a
planet-sized object collided with Earth to
form the moon.
Origins of the Moon
Very long ago, big rocks were moving
around in space.
Scientists think that one of these big rocks
may have crashed into Earth. Material
from Earth broke off. The broken off
portion of Earth became the moon.
Answer:
The moon may have formed when a big
rock crashed into Earth