Lunar Resources
On this page:
|
Basic Facts | Orbital
Parameters | Lunar Atmosphere
| Resource Maps |
Elsewhere on this website:
| The Full Moon Lunar Atlas
|
|
Lunar Dictionary | Lunar
Crater Catalog | Lunar
Links | Lunar Phases |
| Lunar Landing Sites
| Apollo Spacecraft
Today |
Basic facts and miscellaneous information about the Moon:
|
Parameter |
Moon |
Earth |
Ratio
Moon/Earth |
|
Mass (1024 kg) |
0.07349 |
5.9736 |
0.0123 |
|
Volume (1010 km3) |
2.1968 |
108.321 |
0.0203 |
|
Equatorial radius (km) |
1737.4 |
6378.1 |
0.2724 |
|
Polar radius (km) |
1737.4 |
6356.8 |
0.2733 |
|
Volumetric mean radius (km) |
1737.4 |
6371.0 |
0.2727 |
|
Ellipticity (Flattening) |
0.000 |
0.00335 |
0.0 |
|
Mean density (kg/m3) |
3340 |
5515 |
0.605 |
|
Surface gravity (m/s2) |
1.62 |
9.78 |
0.166 |
|
Escape velocity (km/s) |
2.38 |
11.2 |
0.213 |
|
GM (x 106 km3/s2) |
0.0049 |
0.3986 |
0.0123 |
|
Bond albedo |
0.11 |
0.306 |
0.360 |
|
Visual geometric albedo |
0.12 |
0.367 |
0.330 |
|
Visual magnitude V(1,0) |
+ 0.21 |
- 3.86 |
- |
|
Solar irradiance (W/m2) |
1367.6 |
1367.6 |
1.000 |
|
Black-body temperature (K) |
274.5 |
254.3 |
1.079 |
|
Topographic range (km) |
16 |
20 |
0.800 |
|
Moment of inertia (I/MR2) |
0.394 |
0.3308 |
1.191 |
|
J2 (x 10-6) |
202.7 |
1082.63 |
0.187 |
Parameters for the Moon's orbit about the Earth:
|
Parameter
Moon
Semimajor axis (106
km)
0.3844
Perigee (106
km)
0.3633
Apogee (106
km)
0.4055
Revolution period
(days)
27.3217
Synodic period
(days)
29.53
Mean orbital velocity
(km/s)
1.023
Max. orbital velocity
(km/s)
1.076
Min. orbital velocity
(km/s)
0.964
Orbit inclination
(deg)
5.145
Orbit
eccentricity
0.0549
Sidereal rotation period
(hrs) 655.728
Equatorial inclination
(deg)
6.68
Recession rate from Earth
(cm/yr) 3.8
Mean values at opposition from Earth
Distance from Earth
(km)
384,467.
Apparent diameter
(seconds of arc) 1864.2
Apparent visual
magnitude
-12.74
|
|
Diurnal temperature range: >100 K to <400
K (roughly -250 F to +250 F)
Total mass of atmosphere: ~25,000 kg
Surface pressure (night): 3 x 10-15 bar (2 x 10-12 torr)
Abundance at surface: 2 x 105 particles/cm3
Estimated Composition (particles per cubic cm):
Helium 4 (4He) - 40,000
Neon 20 (20Ne) - 40,000
Hydrogen (H2) - 35,000
Argon 40 (40Ar) - 30,000
Neon 22 (22Ne) - 5,000
Argon 36 (36Ar) - 2,000
Methane - 1000
Ammonia - 1000
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - 1000
Trace Oxygen (O+), Aluminum (Al+),
Silicon (Si+)
Possible Phosphorus (P+), Sodium (Na+),
Magnesium (Mg+)
|
Composition of the tenuous lunar atmosphere is
poorly known and variable, these are estimates of the upper limits of the
nighttime ambient atmosphere composition. Daytime levels were difficult to
measure due to heating and outgassing of Apollo surface experiments.
The
Full Moon Atlas: Produced in cooperation with the
Lunar Republic Society, the Full Moon Atlas is the most
comprehensive series of interactive lunar maps available on the
Internet. (Also
available on CD-ROM.)
The Lunar Republic Society also recommends the Lunar
Orbiter Atlas of the Moon, produced by NASA and the
Johnson Space Center, as an excellent resource for lunar feature
photography. Photographs are accessible by feature name and
coordinate range.
Titanium Map
|
|
|
Titanium deposits on the
Moon, shown in red, can be found in high concentration in
the near-side mares.
[Click to enlarge] |
|
Iron Map
|
|
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Also in abundance is iron,
shown in red, as detected by the Clementine project.
[Click to enlarge] |
|
For
additional resources, please visit our Lunar Links page.
|
