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The gravitational constant G is less accurate than the product of G and masses for Earth and Moon. Consequently, it is conventional to express the lunar mass M multiplied by the gravitational constant G. The lunar GM = 4902.8001 km 3 /s 2 from GRAIL analyses. [12] [11] [19] The mass of the Moon is M = 7.3458 × 10 22 kg and the mean density is ...
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite.It orbits at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,900 mi), about 30 times the diameter of Earth. Tidal forces between Earth and the Moon have synchronized the Moon's orbital period (lunar month) with its rotation period at 29.5 Earth days, causing the same side of the Moon to always face Earth.
On the landing, a combination of thrust from residual pressure in the docking tunnel that connected the Lunar Module with the command module Columbia in orbit, and an imperfect understanding of the Moon's uneven gravitational field, resulted in navigation errors which pushed the powered descent initiation point about 3 miles (4.8 km), and thus ...
More than 50 years after humans first began soft-landing spacecraft on the moon, it remains a treacherous feat with more than half of missions failing. Here’s why.
Why are major powers so interested in what is up there? THE MOON. The moon, which is 384,400 km (238,855 miles) from our planet, moderates the earth's wobble on its axis which ensures a more ...
Topography (top) and corresponding gravity (bottom) signal of Mare Smythii on the Moon containing a significant mascon. Map of the Moon's gravity anomalies. In astronomy, astrophysics and geophysics, a mass concentration (or mascon) is a region of a planet's or moon's crust that contains a large positive gravity anomaly.
The Moon's heavily cratered far-side. The origin of the Moon is usually explained by a Mars-sized body striking the Earth, creating a debris ring that eventually collected into a single natural satellite, the Moon, but there are a number of variations on this giant-impact hypothesis, as well as alternative explanations, and research continues into how the Moon came to be formed.
The Drake Passage, between the southern tip of South America and Antarctic, is infamous as one of the most dangerous journeys on the planet. But why is it so rough – and how can you cross safely?