The face of the Moon turned toward us is termed the near side (image at right). ... The dark material filling the Maria is actually dark, solidified lava from earlier periods of Lunar volcanism. Both the Maria and the Highlands exhibit large craters that are the result of meteor impacts .
What are maria on the Moon?
Mare, plural maria, any flat, dark plain of lower elevation on the Moon . The term, which in Latin means “sea,” was erroneously applied to such features by telescopic observers of the 17th century. ... Maria are the largest topographic features on the Moon and can be seen from Earth with the unaided eye.
How are Maria formed on the moon?
The maria were formed after large impacts from meteors carved out basins in the lunar crust . When the Moon was volcanic, magma seeped to the surface, filled the basins and eventually hardened, resulting in the relatively smooth flat areas seen today.
How were the maria on the Moon created quizlet?
How did the lunar maria form? the lava cooled, it formed the maria. ... The moon would probably have many more impact craters
What formed the highlands on the Moon?
The Indian mission through the Moon mineralogy mapper has offered proof that the Moon’s highlands were formed by the eruption of a hot liquid inside the Moon’s surface popularly known as magma . ... “The hot liquid, magma, seems to have flowed on to the surface and taken the form of lava.
What is the largest sea on the Moon?
The region towards the western edge of the Moon is dominated by the largest of the lunar seas; Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms). This is a massive region measuring approximately 1000 miles by 480 miles.
What is the dark spot on the Moon?
The surface of the Moon is covered in huge dark spots, visible from Earth even with the naked eye. These patches are known as maria – a Latin word meaning ‘seas’.
Does the Moon take 24 hours to rotate?
Speeding up the Moon’s rotation so that it spins once every 24 hours is a pretty dramatic change. That means the Moon has to rotate the full 360 degrees of a circle in 24 hours , which puts us at 15 degrees of rotation every hour.
What are the mountains on the Moon called?
The lunar Alps, the Montes Alpes, sweep off to the northwest, enclosing the perfect oval crater, Plato. On the barren floor of the Mare Imbrium are two of the most impressive single mountain peaks on the surface of the moon, Mons Piton and Mons Pico .
What forms maria on the Moon Group of answer choices?
Samples of lunar rock and soil brought back by Apollo astronauts proved that the maria are composed of basalt formed from surface lava flows that later congealed .
What is the uneven part of the Moon called?
The face of the Moon turned toward us is termed the near side (image at right). It is divided into light areas called the Lunar Highlands and darker areas called Maria (literally, “seas”; the singular is Mare).
Who went to Moon twice?
Jim Lovell, John Young, and Eugene Cernan are the only three people to have flown to the Moon twice. Young and Cernan each set foot on it during their respective second lunar missions, while Lovell is the only person to have flown to the Moon twice without landing.
What is the surface like on the Moon?
The moon’s surface is covered with dead volcanoes, impact craters
Does Moon have sea?
All you need to know about the lunar maria
Are there lakes on the moon?
Scientists have just confirmed what’s been believed for over a decade— there’s water on the Moon . ... SOFIA, which is a modified Boeing 747SP jetliner with a 106-inch diameter telescope, captured data that, without a doubt, shows the presence of water. Of course, we’re not talking about a big lake or stream here.
Does the moon spin?
The moon does rotate on its axis . One rotation takes nearly as much time as one revolution around Earth. ... Over time it has slowed down because of the effect of Earth’s gravity. Astronomers call this a “tidally locked
