The Lunar Surface - ScienceKid.org

The Moon's surface is a world frozen in time — scarred by billions of years of impacts with no wind, rain, or plate tectonics to erase the evidence. Explore craters, ancient lava plains, and the discovery of water ice.

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10

Questions

5–10 min

Time

Q1 Question 1 of 10

What are the large, dark flat areas on the Moon's surface called?

Regolith Maria (singular: mare) Highlands Rilles

Q2 Question 2 of 10

How were the lunar maria (dark flat plains) formed?

Water erosion carved out flat valleys Ancient volcanic eruptions flooded large impact basins with lava that cooled and solidified Meteorites ground down the surface over time Wind and rain smoothed out the surface

Q3 Question 3 of 10

What is regolith?

A type of crater The Moon's thin atmosphere The layer of loose dust, broken rock fragments, and soil covering the Moon's surface Solidified lava on the lunar surface

Q4 Question 4 of 10

Why does the Moon have so many more visible craters than Earth?

The Moon is closer to the asteroid belt than Earth The Moon has no atmosphere to burn up incoming meteoroids and no erosion to wear craters away The Moon is much older than Earth Meteoroids are attracted to the Moon's dark surface

Q5 Question 5 of 10

What temperature extremes does the Moon's surface experience?

About 0°C everywhere — similar to a cold winter day About +127°C in direct sunlight and -173°C in darkness About +30°C in sunlight and -10°C in darkness The Moon has a constant temperature because it has no weather

Q6 Question 6 of 10

Where on the Moon was water ice confirmed to exist?

In the lunar maria (dark plains) Just below the surface everywhere on the Moon In permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles In deep underground lakes similar to Earth's aquifers

Q7 Question 7 of 10

How long would footprints left on the Moon last?

About one year — the Moon's surface slowly shifts About a day — dust blows over them They would disappear in a lunar night due to freezing temperatures Millions of years — there is no wind or rain to erode them

Q8 Question 8 of 10

Why does the far side of the Moon look different from the near side?

The far side is covered in liquid water oceans The far side gets more sunlight and is therefore brighter The far side has far fewer maria (dark plains) and is more heavily cratered The far side is made of different materials from a second impact

Q9 Question 9 of 10

What are the lighter-coloured, heavily cratered regions of the Moon called?

The maria The highlands (or terrae) The regolith zones The rilles

Q10 Question 10 of 10

Why is the water ice found on the Moon valuable for future human exploration?

It proves the Moon once had life It can be used for drinking water and split into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel It keeps the Moon's surface cool enough for astronauts to work It can be melted to create artificial lakes for a lunar base

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