About: Moon

It is bliss to watch the spots on the moon in a clear sky with twinkling stars. But, have you ever wondered that just like any beautiful thing, the moon does have some flaws. As we think, moon is not at all a plain white surface. It has many depressions, mountains on it. Though we fantasize it a lot, at the end of the day it is just another geographical element just like the earth moon is the only natural satellite that earth has.

How did the Moon form?

Scientists believe that the Moon formed early in the solar system’s history after Earth and an object about the size of Mars smashed into each other. The impact sent chunks of Earth and the impactor into space that were pulled together by gravity, creating the Moon.

Even thousands of years ago, humans drew pictures to track the changes of the Moon. Later, people used their observations of the Moon to create calendars.

Today, we study the Moon using telescopes and spacecraft. For example, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the Moon and sending back measurements since 2009.

The Moon is the only other planetary body that humans have visited. On July 20, 1969, NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first people to set foot on the dusty surface of the Moon. Ten other American astronauts followed. They collected hundreds of pounds of lunar soil and rock samples, conducted experiments and installed equipment for follow-up measurements.

The Moon’s surface is covered in various features, including craters, mountains, valleys, and plains. The “spots” you might be referring to could be the impact craters. These craters are formed by the impact of asteroids or comets on the Moon’s surface. They vary in size from small pits to large basins, with the largest and most famous one being the South Pole-Aitken basin.

Lunar craters are bowl-shaped features on the moon’s surface caused by volcanism and cratering. They are formed when asteroids and meteorites, which are nothing but dust and rocky substances in space, hit the moon’s surface. Craters can be as small as a mile long and as big as a sea. There are hundreds of thousands of such craters on the moon. The largest one of all is near the South pole, the Aitkin basin. It is as long as 2,500 kilometers and it is also one of the oldest ones. lunar craters are formed due to asteroids and space dust.

Craters are not confined to the moon; they are found on many astronomical bodies including the earth. But, comparatively the moon has more craters. The earth has many layers of atmosphere protecting it and also maintaining the ideal temperature. When any external bodies enter the earth’s surface, they burn up and could not affect the earth’s surface much. But the moon doesn’t have such a protective atmosphere hence, ends up having many craters and also lack of water and wind on the moon takes a lot of time for these craters to get eroded.

The Moon has many craters because it lacks a significant atmosphere and geological activity that could erase these impact features over time. Here’s why the Moon has so many craters:

1. No Atmosphere: Unlike Earth, the Moon has a very thin and tenuous atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere protects it from many smaller meteoroids, which burn up upon entering our atmosphere. However, the Moon’s atmosphere is not substantial enough to provide significant protection, allowing meteoroids to collide directly with its surface, creating craters upon impact.

2. No Geological Activity: The Moon is geologically inactive, meaning it doesn’t have processes like weathering, erosion, or tectonic activity that can erase or modify craters over time. On Earth, geological processes such as wind and water erosion, as well as volcanic activity, continuously reshape the surface, gradually erasing the impact features. The Moon lacks these processes, allowing craters to remain relatively unchanged for billions of years.

3. Age: The Moon is about 4.5 billion years old, and during this vast period, it has been bombarded by countless asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. Each of these impacts created a crater, contributing to the Moon’s heavily cratered surface.

4. Limited “Resurfacing” Events: While the Moon lacks ongoing geological processes, there have been specific events in its history, such as volcanic activity and large impacts, which resurfaced parts of the Moon. However, these events are relatively rare and do not occur frequently enough to significantly alter the overall cratered nature of the Moon’s surface.

In summary, the Moon’s lack of atmosphere, geological inactivity, and the age of the solar system have all contributed to the formation and preservation of the Moon’s numerous craters.

How do you name them?

Just like you and me, lunar craters also have their names. But, unlike us, they do not have the same names for two craters….. Lunar craters are named by an association called International Astronomical Union and then voted upon. Different lunar craters named so far are, The Jackson crater, The Mitra Crater, The Korolev crater, etc.,

Naming spots and places on lunar surfaces started as early as the 17th century in Europe and in the 20th century the United States and the USSR when the nations sending lunar explorations started assigning names to the lunar spots.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) determines some rules for Space activities. India is one of the 92 members of the space body.

“The IAU has been the arbiter of planetary and satellite nomenclature since its inception in 1919,” its website reads.

However, with the advancement of technology and exploration of the darker side of the moon, more lunar sports like craters were assigned names of scientists and engineers. Later, these names were sent to the IAU for its approval, according to The Indian Express.

Most of the informal names assigned during Apollo mission were later given “official” status by the IAU. It also approved eight Chinese names for features around the area on the Moon explored during China’s spacecraft Chang’e-5.

“An informal practice of naming landmarks was common during the Apollo missions. Names were given to the small craters and mountains near each landing site (e.g., Shorty, St. George, Stone Mountain) but official names were used as well (e.g., Hadley Rille),” scientist Paul D Spudis wrote in the Smithsonian Magazine in 2012.

PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING NAMES?

The IAU’s Working Groups handle the process of naming lunar spots, though its decisions and recommendations are not enforceable by any international law.

However, there are established conventions regarding astronomical objects and processes which are as follows:

1. When the first images of the planet surface or satellite are obtained, then themes for naming features are chosen and names of important features are proposed by members of the appropriate IAU task group.
2. After higher resolution images are available, the names for additional features may be requested by investigators mapping or describing specific surfaces or geological formations.
3. Though anyone can suggest that a specific name, but there is no guarantee that the name will be approved. The names will be successfully reviewed by a task group are submitted by the task group chair to the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN).
4. However, the lunar or planetary surface cannot have names of political, military or religious significance except for names of political figures prior to the 19th century.
5. After successful review by vote of the WGPSN members, the names are considered officially approved and can be used on maps and in publications.
   

    

   LAW REGARDING OWNERSHIP, NAMING SITES

   The United Nations 1966 Outer Space Treaty, which came during the Covid War Era when the USSR and US were locked in competition, said that no nation can claim sovereignty over the moon – or other celestial bodies – and that the exploration of space should be carried out for the benefit of all countries.

   The 1979 The Moon Agreement states that no part of the moon “shall become property of any State, international intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national organization or non-governmental entity or of any natural person.”

   Therefore, the law clearly states that nations cannot law claim to moon or its land, however they can carry out certain activities.

   According to Alexander Soucek, head of public international law at the European Space Agency, “A nation can plant a flag on the moon, but it doesn’t have any legal meaning or consequence.”

    

   However, there is no legislation regarding naming places on the Moon.

-by Krishna Amrutha

Content writer (Erakina by RTMN)

03-11-2021