13. Lunar Landform Identification
Purpose
To identify landforms on the surface of the Moon using orbital, Apollo spacecraft
photographs.
Background
Taking a good, close look at the Moon with the naked eye, through binoculars
or a telescope can set the stage for a fascinating exploration of our nearest
neighbor in space. Bright areas and streaks, dark areas, and circular features
can be discerned easily. Photographs taken from lunar orbit give us even
closer looks at the Moon's surface. The fun part is knowing what you're
looking at and that's what this activity is all about.
Students will need to know the following vocabulary of landforms on the
Moon
Highlands- bright, extensively cratered
areas of igneous rocks rich in the mineral plagioclase and breccias (rocks
actually made of broken pieces of many rocks smashed back together again).
Maria- dark areas covered by lavas
of the volcanic rock type called basalt.
Impact crater- roughly circular hole
created when something struck the surface.
Terraced crater walls- steep walls
of an impact crater with stair steps created by slumping due to gravity
and landslides.
Central crater uplift- mountain in
the center of large (>40 kilometer diameter) impact craters.
Crater ejecta- material thrown out
from and deposited around an impact crater.
Ray- bright streak of material blasted
out from an impact crater.
Multi-ringed basin- huge impact crater
surrounded by circular mountain chains.
Lava flow- a break out of magma from
underground onto the surface.
Rille- channel in lunar maria formed
as an open lava channel aor a collapsed lava tube.
Wrinkle ridge- long, narrow, wrinkly,
hilly section in maria.
Cinder Cone - low, broad, dark, cone-shaped
hill formed by explosive volcanic eruption.
Dome - low, circular, rounded hill
suspected to be a volcanic landform.
An easy-to-understand background article "The Moon: Gateway to the Solar
System," written by Dr. G. Jeffrey Taylor, is available in NASA publication
EG-1997-10-116-HQ. Find it on-line at the Lunar Prospector mission education
homepage or in the curriculum materials section of NASA Spacelink. An
accompanying slide set (Publication ES-1997-12-002-HQ) is also available
on-line from Spacelink. Use these resources and other books and pictures
to show your students what's on the Moon.
Additional on-line resources for lunar images and Moon mission information:
Moon missions and photos (including 3-D images) from the Lunar and Planetary
Institute, Houston, Texas.
Apollo manned space program information from the National Air and Space
Museum.
Futuristic moon mission artwork and real Apollo photos from Johnson Space
Center.
This Activity
This activity uses eight photographs taken by Apollo mission orbital
cameras to show thirteen major landforms on the surface of the Moon (defined
above.) Students match the numbers on the photographs (1 through 20) with
the name of the landform. A "Lunar Landform Identification" student chart
is provided to record answers.
Preparation
Print out copies of the lunar photographs for this activity. Make copies
of the blank "Lunar Landform Identification" student chart. Print out copies
of the answer chart.
In Class
This activity can be used as a group or individual culminating experience
for students who have been studying the Moon. The vocabulary words can be
given as a separate assignment before the landform identification.
Wrap-Up
Compare student charts with the answer chart and discuss any discrepancies.
Were some landforms easier to identify than others? Did shadows (sun angle)
help make some features easier to see? Which landforms would you like to
stand on?
Extensions
Using the label on each photograph, locate the areas on a globe or map
of the Moon. Determine the latitude and longitude of the area in each
photograph. Use maps of the Moon to determine the size of the landforms.
Find the same landforms in photographs from the Apollo landing sites.
Research and discuss Moon missions past, present, and future. Use the
knowledge gained from this activity in the Lunar Life Support activity.
"The Moon"
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"Orientale"
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"Apollo 15 Landing Site"
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"Alphonsis"
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"Tycho"
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"Mare Imbrium"
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"Ocean of Storms"
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"Copernicus"
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