Beautiful and mysterious moon - a satellite of the Earth - invariably affects the life of our planet, fascinates, excites the imagination.Since it involves a lot of interesting facts, mysteries and secrets.
1. Origin
The majority of scientists believe that the Moon formed after the collision of Earth with a planet smaller.As a result of the unknown planet left a lot of debris that formed a ring around the Earth.After an extensive period of time, this "belt" are concentrated in a "cluster", which turned into the current satellite.
2. The shape and trajectory of rotation
moon shaped more like an egg than a sphere.And it does not rotate in a circular orbit and an elliptical.Approaching the Earth and distant moon provokes strong tides and makes the weather unpredictable, and his attraction slows the rotation of the planet.Before there was a celestial body, the Earth rotated faster - respectively, the days were much shorter.
3. lunar surface
During his lifetime, the satellite of the planet Earth has gone through very difficult times.About four billion years ago the moon, just as the Earth has undergone fierce bombardment, after which left a large number of non-healing "wounds" - a huge crater.The biggest of them - Aitken, is not visible from Earth, it is located near the south pole of the moon.But most impressive of the visible craters with a diameter of more than 290 km, called Bailey.
4. Divine Moon
Almost all ancient civilizations have noticed a significant impact that satellite of the Earth, so the moon in many religious cults worshiped as a deity.The ancient Greeks had three goddess of the moon: new moon - Artemis, the full moon - Selena and reverse side of the moon - Hecate.
Some Greek philosophers sincerely believed that a great companion of the Earth affects the quality of aggressive liquids in the human brain, so you can go crazy if scrutinize night light.
5. Features of "life" on the moon
Since this celestial body has no atmosphere, the twilight does not exist there, too - day and night occurs almost instantly.Day and night are only visible black starry sky and a huge disk of the Earth.
drop in temperature on the surface of the moon is really huge - from minus to plus one hundred and one hundred and sixty degrees Celsius.For comparison, the maximum recorded on Earth was a drop from minus to plus forty-nine seven degrees Celsius.
There are frequent "moonquakes" as a result of gravitational interaction with our planet.However, there is no wind, no moisture, so astronauts traces remain intact for millions of years.
Gravity on the moon six times smaller than the Earth, so the ordinary person without any problems could lift a weight equal to its own.
6. Moon Cemetery
Yes, Earth satellite already keeps human remains.There rest of the ashes of Eugene Shoemaker - American scholar, who devoted his life to geology and planetary science.In 1999, a capsule containing his ashes was sent aboard the research station Lunar Prospector and fell on the lunar surface when the station has completed its mission.
In addition, on the surface of a celestial body has a small monument to the fallen astronauts aluminum, which is in the form vosmisantimetrovoy figure astronaut in a spacesuit.And next to this memorial plaque installed on which are written the names of people who gave their lives for space exploration.
7. Moon "avatars»
In late 2010, the developers of NASA proposed a new project to develop our satellite, which is conventionally called "Avatar".The idea is quite in harmony with the popular film: the lunar surface planted robots, and scientists in the world wear special costumes and their movements controlled by these robots.The project will be to investigate the Earth's satellite, without ever leaving their home planet.And who knows what other surprises await humanity in the lunar expanses ...
