There are more than you think.
Earth's moon as seen from Moon Valley in Chile's Atacama Desert. | Skreidzeleu/ShutterstockEach of the solar system’s 178 moons tells a story. Whether they started as planetary twins or as wayward rocks captured by a planet’s gravity, these natural satellites can be as geologically active, weather-beaten or just plain weird as any planet. Here are a few.
Over the years, the moon became tidally locked with Earth, so the same side always faces our planet. This means there isn’t a dark side of the moon, since the sun shines on both hemispheres equally. But there is a far side. The two sides are remarkably different: The near side sports several maria — dark plains of cooled lava — while the far side is devoid of them, and appears relatively uniform.
It’s hard to get a good sense of scale with the moon, but consider this: It’s far enough away that every other planet could fit between it and Earth. And it’s the largest moon relative to its planet in the solar system, exactly the right size to perfectly cover the sun in the sky during an eclipse — an amazing cosmic coincidence.The four Galilean moons, the first objects known to orbit another planet, are named for Galileo Galilei, who is credited with discovering them in 1610.
Charon spans about half of Pluto’s diameter and has an eighth of the dwarf planet’s mass, resulting in a lopsided double orbit; Charon goes around Pluto, but the two also orbit a point in space known as a barycenter. Because of this, some astronomers consider both bodies dwarf planets. But the International Astronomical Union, which rules in such matters considers Charon a moon. Pluto’s other four moons orbit the same barycenter.
Officially, the moon is named after the mythological ferryman, but it also honors discoverer James Christy’s wife, Charlene. This has led to some disagreement over its pronunciation, but many American scientists favor Christy’s choice: “SHAHR-on.”
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
9 must-see stargazing events to watch in 2022The year ahead offers many heavenly delights for sky-watchers, including two blood moons, a pair of partial solar eclipses, and multiple planetary meetings.
Les mer »
The 10 biggest space science stories of 2021The universe revealed more of its secrets this year, and new missions will further explore our solar system and beyond.
Les mer »
Everything to know about the Air Force’s new fighter jet, the F-15EX Eagle IIEverything you want to know about the F-15 Eagle—from its long history as an air-to-air fighter to the modern-day version called the F-15EX.
Les mer »
Right This Way for Everything to Know About the Love Language Quality TimeHere's what Gary Chapman's quality time love language means, quality time examples, and how to practice quality time if it's your partner's love language.
Les mer »
Jhay Cortez vs. Rauw Alejandro: A Timeline of the 2021 Reggaeton FeudThe Jhay Cortez and Rauw Alejandro feud began over the holiday break. Here’s everything you need to know.
Les mer »