Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
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Textbook Question
Chapter 9, Problem 14E
What are the difficulties with the capture hypothesis of the Moon’s origin?
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Formation theories for the Moon have come and gone due to the discovery of new knowledge. The fission theory postulated that the Moon separated from the Earth in the vicinity of what is now the Pacific Ocean. Why is this early 20th century notion totally discredited today? What discovery in the mid-1960s provided the evidence to disprove this theory? [Hint: The first clue came from Alfred Wegener. His theory was at first ridiculed but was later shown to be true from research in the 1960s–1970s. Wegener’s theory was renamed as what? Our current model also explains earthquakes. To answer this you will have to Google.]
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Chapter 9 Solutions
Astronomy
Ch. 9 - What is the composition of the Moon, and how does...Ch. 9 - Why does the Moon not have an atmosphere?Ch. 9 - What are the principal features of the Moon...Ch. 9 - Frozen water exists on the lunar surface primarily...Ch. 9 - Outline the main events in the Moon’s geological...Ch. 9 - What are the maria composed of? Is this material...Ch. 9 - The mountains on the Moon were formed by what...Ch. 9 - With no wind or water erosion of rocks, what is...Ch. 9 - What differences did Grove K. Gilbert note between...Ch. 9 - Explain how high-speed impacts form circular...
Ch. 9 - Explain the evidence for a period of heavy...Ch. 9 - How did our exploration of the Moon differ from...Ch. 9 - Summarize the four main hypotheses for the origin...Ch. 9 - What are the difficulties with the capture...Ch. 9 - What is the main consequence of Mercury’s orbit...Ch. 9 - Describe the basic internal structure of Mercury.Ch. 9 - How was the rotation rate of Mercury determined?Ch. 9 - What is the relationship between Mercury’s...Ch. 9 - The features of Mercury are named in honor of...Ch. 9 - What do our current ideas about the origins of the...Ch. 9 - One of the primary scientific objectives of the...Ch. 9 - Apollo astronaut David Scott dropped a hammer and...Ch. 9 - Galileo thought the lunar maria might be seas of...Ch. 9 - Why did it take so long for geologists to...Ch. 9 - How might a crater made by the impact of a comet...Ch. 9 - Why are the lunar mountains smoothly rounded...Ch. 9 - The lunar highlands have about ten times more...Ch. 9 - At the end of the section on the lunar surface,...Ch. 9 - Give several reasons Mercury would be a...Ch. 9 - If, in the remote future, we establish a base on...Ch. 9 - The Moon has too little iron, Mercury too much....Ch. 9 - In the future, astronomers discover a solid moon...Ch. 9 - The Moon was once closer to Earth than it is now....Ch. 9 - Astronomers believe that the deposit of lava in...Ch. 9 - The Moon requires about 1 month (0.08 year) to...
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- The Moon did not pass through all of the four stages of planetary development. True or false? Explain your answer.arrow_forwardWe believe that chains of comet fragments like Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9’s have collided not only with the jovian planets, but occasionally with their moons. What sort of features would you look for on the outer planet moons to find evidence of such collisions? (As an extra bonus, can you find any images of such features on a moon like Callisto? You can use an online site of planetary images, such as the Planetary Photojournal, at photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov.)arrow_forwardHow does the large-impact hypothesis explain the Moons lack of iron?arrow_forward
- Why did it take so long for geologists to recognize that the lunar craters had an impact origin rather than a volcanic one?arrow_forwardWhy is it possible to acquire Moon rocks by traveling to Antarctica or the Sahara?arrow_forwardOutline the main events in the Moon’s geological history.arrow_forward
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