The Moon: Exploration and Geology

The Earth is unique among the inner planets in possessing a large rocky Moon: a second world to explore. In this course, we will recount the race to the Moon in the 1960s, the program to return geologists to the Moon by 2020, and what we know about this intriguing body. Besides lectures, students will view the Moon at the Observatory, screen videos of past Apollo missions, study imagery from recent probes, and examine samples and maps of the moon. Some key issues of lunar geology will be addressed such as volcanic eruptions, impact cratering, and the origin of the Moon itself.