Experimenting on the Moon

Astronauts landed on the moon six times during the Apollo Program - each time in a different area. Conducting experiments and taking rock samples from different areas allowed scientists to learn more about the moon.

The moon has two major landscapes: heavily-cratered, light-colored "highland" regions and broad, dark-colored plains called "maria" (which means "seas" in Latin). The highlands contain thousands of impact craters of all sizes created by space debris hitting the surface. These areas contain a kind of rock called breccia, made of fractured rock fragments cemented together. The maria were created when large objects hit the moon, and lava from below filled the resulting craters and solidified into the plains we see. The maria are rich in a dark volcanic rock called basalt.

Mission: Learn about the rocks found on the surface of the moon.

Experiment 1:

Step 1.
Observe the photograph of the moon.

Step 2.
Pick up and observe the two rocks labeled "maria basalt" and "highlands breccia." Notice the shape and color of each rock. Does the rock feel smooth, rough, bumpy, or some other texture?

Step 3.
The maria basalt comes from the dark areas on the moon. Can you locate those areas on the photograph of the moon?

Step 4.
The highland breccia comes from the light areas of the moon. Can you locate those areas on the photograph of the moon?

Step 5.
Locate the "Moon Rocks" box. Observe the rocks in the box. Notice the shape and color of each rock. Does each rock feel smooth, rough, bumpy, or some other texture?

The Earth's moon

Theorize:

A. How are the maria basalt and highland breccia the same? How are they different?

B. How are the maria basalt and highland breccia similar to the other Moon Rocks? How are they different?

C. Why do you think it was important for astronauts to land on different areas of the moon?

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Living in Space | Rockets | Planets | Space Exploration