The Moon
A Scorched and Battered World

April 4, 2011, jeb

Outline


The Moon - General Properties


The Moon's Orbit around the Earth


Moon's Gravity on its Surface

Newton's Law:
F = G (M1)(M2) / R2, where G is a constant

So the force pulling on you (suppose you are M2), on the surface of the Moon, would be proportional to M1 / R2, or the mass of the Moon divided by the distance to the center of the Moon, squared.
Since the Moon has about 1/80 of the mass of the Earth, and it has about 1/4 of the radius of the Earth, gravity on the surface would appear about (1/80)/(1/4)2 = 1/5 as great as on the Earth. (a more accurate estimate comes out to 1/6.)

The Moon's Surface Features and Character


The Moon's Internal Features


Origin of the Moon

Impact Theory

Evolutionary History of the Moon


Phases of the Moon


Lunar eclipses



Other Sources on the Moon

StarDate Guide to the Moon
Views of the Solar System - the Moon
The Nine Planets - the Moon