Junior Ranger: Moon Walking

People have been telling stories about the sky for thousands upon thousands of years. There are stories about what the stars are made of, why the sun dips below the horizon at night, and what the moon is made of.

Because the moon has been hit by debris, such as meteorites, tens of thousands of times, its surface has bumps and cups and lumps. Some are so big that they can be seen easily without the help of a telescope. Most of these craters are much smaller and can only be seen with help. Think of the surface of the moon like an orange: rough, with lumps and bumps and pits, and the large end where the stem attached would be a very large crater.

Crazy Numbers:

• The surface of the moon can reach over 212 degrees Farenheit (100 degrees Celsius) during the day.
• At night, the temperature on the surface of the moon can drop to -280 degrees Farenheit (-173 degrees Celsius).

If you have binoculars or you can borrow some, you can look up at the moon at night and get a better view of the surface. Astronomers used to think that the large, flat, open areas were oceans. We now know that there is no flowing water on the moon and these areas are huge plains with no large mountains or craters.

What does the moon feel like? The soil there is like very fine talcum powder-like dust mixed with an assortment of pebbles and rocks of different sizes.

Activity:

• Imagine you are a park ranger at the first International Park on the moon.
• What type of things will you point out to your visitors?
• What would your uniform look like? What about your flat hat?
• Create a podcast, a play, or a poster celebrating the wonders of the moon.

Well done, Junior Ranger!

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