The Moon
Kathy Hufford
1 Our Moon is a natural satellite. Unlike the robotic satellites that send TV signals and science data back to Earth, natural satellites were there long before people. We just borrowed the name satellite when we first started launching spacecraft into space.
2 The Moon is smaller than four other moons in our solar system yet is larger than the dwarf planet Pluto. Many spacecraft have been sent to the Moon and 12 astronauts have walked on it. James Lovell, John Young, and Gene Cernan were the most important astronauts to have walked on the moon because they visited twice.
3 What’s it like on the Moon? From the Moon, Earth looks four times bigger than a full Moon. If you looked in the right places on the Moon, you would find pieces of equipment, American flags and even a camera left behind by astronauts.
4 The Moon is covered with craters. Because it has no atmosphere to protect it, space rocks, some as big as mountains, have smashed into it. Tycho Crater is more than 52 miles wide! The Moon's surface is rocky and covered with dust. It looks a lot like the planet Mercury.
5 The Moon's weak gravity means it is easy to move around there, even in a heavy spacesuit. It is impossible for people to explore the Moon without a spacesuit. There is no air, and the radiation from the sun is very dangerous.
6 It gets very hot and very cold on the Moon. When the sun is shining, the Moon sizzles at 265 degrees Fahrenheit (130 degrees Celsius) and when it’s not, it can drop down to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (110 degrees Celsius) below zero.
Match each term with the appropriate definition or description.
1. bigger than Pluto
2. over 52 miles wide
3. walked on by 12 astronauts
4. non-existent
5. needed in order for a person to be on the moon
6. not as significant as Earth's
A. Tycho Crater
B. the Moon
C. surface of moon
D. atmosphere of moon
E. gravity
F. space suit
1 answer
Here are the matched terms with their appropriate definitions or descriptions:
