Mond
Most planets in the solar system possess companions, whom one calls satellites or moons. This designation comes from the moon in the closer sense, the companion of the earth. The earth possesses only one satellite, which takes however for it a special position in the solar system. It is in relation to the earth one the largest. The mass of the moon amounts to 1/81 of the earth mass, while the satellites of the remaining planets (with exception of the Pluto) do not even reach 1/1000, the mass of their central planet. One can regard therefore earth and moon better than a kind double planet, which circle together around the sun. Beside the sun the moon is the next heavenly body of the earth, which appears to the naked eye as surface. On its surface are clearly brighten and darken places to constitute, which like to cause together also the impression of a face »(man in «the moon). The dark places correspond to more deeply lying areas on the lunar surface, covered with dark lava. They are called moon seas or Maria and contain few krater, which brighten lie higher, are by granite-similar rock covered and by many kratern scattered. One calls it also the continents of the moon, although there is no water on the moon. The designations originate from the time of the first telescope observations. A view by the field glasses already shows a large number of moon mondkratern. Also mountain courses are to be seen, for instance the Mondapenninen or the moon alps. The moon mondkrater, which can be kilometers large up to 200, are designated after famous scientists and other personalities of world history. The moon seas carry fantasy designations. The appearance of the moon changes depending upon its position to the earth and to the sun. These mondphasen are also with the observation of the moon in the field glasses of great importance. With full moon the moon mond-krater do not throw and - mountains shade, so that they do not emphasize themselves plastic. Best one can observe the moon mondkrater, mountains and seas closely at the border between bright and dark moon side, in the evening hours at the best at the time of the so-called first quarter. Moon turns us always the same side, because it turns in the same time, in which it runs around the earth, once around its axle. Also the back of the moon is however in the meantime well-known by the photographs of many space vehicles in every detail, since it was photographed with flights around the moon. On the moon so far 12 humans are on board 6 spaceships, the American space shuttles Apollo 11 to 17, landed, in addition still approximately 2 dozen of unmanned space vehicles in the years 1969-1972. The moon is thereby also the best investigated heavenly body.
August Keller
This site is copyright by ThinkQuest Planets Switzerland 1999 See the ThinkQuest site!