Astronomy 161 - Introduction To Solar System Astronomy

What is the structure of the Moon, and what physical processes have shaped its surface? In this lecture we turn to our nearest celestial neighbor, the Moon, to see a world quite different than the dynamic Earth. We will discuss the surface features of the Moon (the Maria and cratered highlands), see how crater density tells us the relative ages of terrain, and look at the composition of Moon rocks returned by astronauts and robotic probes. We also discuss the interior of the Moon, and review what we know about lunar history and formation. Recorded 2006 Nov 2 in 100 Stillman Hall on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.