A full Moon graphic with a see-through view of the layers in the top right quadrant of the Moon. Titled "What is the Moon made of?"
Titled "Crust" with the text "The crust is the Moon’s outermost layer and is a rocky shell that is primarily made of two rock types – anorthosites and basalts. This is the part of the Moon we can see from Earth. The Moon’s relatively bright regions are called the lunar highlands and are made of anorthosite, which is primarily composed of plagioclase, a relatively iron free silicate mineral. The Moon’s dark regions are called the lunar maria and these volcanic plains are composed of basalts, which are a mixture of silicate minerals including plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine. The crust helps us learn about the history of the Moon and other rocky planets!"
Titled "Mantle" with the text "The mantle is the layer just beneath the crust and is the thickest layer of the Moon. The lunar mantle is thought to be composed of iron-bearing silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene, although its exact composition is a mystery! Although mostly solid, the mantle can slowly flow like a thick liquid over geologic timescales (millions and billions of years). This slow movement is known as convection and can lead to moonquakes and volcanism at the lunar surface. Since we do not observe any current volcanic activity on the Moon, the lunar mantle has probably cooled and solidified except for the zone closest to the lunar core."
Titled "Core" with the text "The Moon’s core consists of two parts: a solid, mostly iron inner core within a molten outer core. Though primarily made of iron, the core contains some nickel and sulfur as well. The Moon’s core extends about 20 percent of the way from the Moon’s center to its surface―a smaller proportion than in other rocky planets, whose cores can reach up to 50% of their diameters. The relatively small size of the lunar core may be because the Moon’s violent formation left little iron to collect in its center."
✨ We see the Moon every night, but do you know what the Moon is made of? It’s not just rock and dust, and each layer helps us understand the Moon’s history. Swipe to learn more about what the Moon is really made of! 🌔
#LunarVISE #Space #SpaceLab #UCF #Moon #MoonLayers #MoonCrust #MoonMantle