# 2 Studying the set text: Chapter 6 of Teach Yourself Planets

## 2.1 The Moon

David A. Rothery Teach Yourself Planets, Chapter 6, pp. 66-75, Hodder Education, 2000, 2003.

Copyright © David Rothery

In this chapter you will learn:

- about the nearest planetary body to the Earth

- about the long record of impact cratering on its surface, and about the ancient eruptions that flooded many low-lying areas.

##

Planetary facts
Equatorial radius (km) | 1738
Mass (relative to Earth) | 0.0123 (7.35 × 1022 kg)
Density (g/cm3) | 3.34
Surface gravity (relative to Earth) | 0.17
Rotation period | 27.32 days
Axial inclination | 6.67°
Distance from Earth | 384,400 km
Orbital period | 27.32 days
Orbital eccentricity | 0.05
Composition of surface | rocky
Mean surface temperature | 1 °C
Composition of atmosphere | argon, helium, atomic oxygen, sodium, potassium
Atmospheric pressure at surface (relative to Earth) | 2 × 10−14
Number of satellites | 0

David A. Rothery, Teach Yourself Planets, p. 66, Hodder Education, 2000, 2003. Copyright © David Rothery

OpenLearn - The Moon
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