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Harrison Schmitt

Harrison Schmitt

(right)]] Dr. Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt (born July 3, 1935) is a geologist, astronaut and former senator. He has walked on the Moon.

Early life and education

Born in Santa Rita, New Mexico, Schmitt grew up in nearby Silver City. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in science from the California Institute of Technology in 1957 and then spent a year studying geology at the University of Oslo in Norway. Doctorate of Philosophy in geology from Harvard University in 1964.

NASA career

Before joining NASA as a member of the first group of scientist-astronauts in June 1965, he worked at the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Center at Flagstaff, Arizona, developing geological field techniques that would be used by the Apollo crews. Following his selection, Schmitt played a key role in training Apollo crews to be geologic observers when they were in lunar orbit and competent geologic field workers when they were on the lunar surface. After each of the landing missions, he participated in the examination and evaluation of the returned lunar samples and helped the crews with the scientific aspects of their mission reports. Flagstaff, Arizona Because Schmitt was the only geologist in the astronaut corps and, as well, had spent considerable time becoming proficient in the CSM and LM systems, it came as no surprise when, in March 1970, he became the first of the scientist-astronauts to receive a crew assignment. He joined Richard Gordon (Commander) and Vance Brand (Command Module Pilot) on the backup crew for Apollo 15 and was clearly in line to fly as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 18. After the cancellation of Apollo 18 in September 1970, many people expected that he would be assigned to fly on Apollo 17, the last lunar mission. That assignment was announced in August 1971. After the completion of Apollo 17, Schmitt played an active role in documenting the Apollo geologic results and also took on the task of organizing NASA's Energy Program Office.

Post-NASA career

In August 1975, Schmitt resigned from NASA to seek election as a Republican to the United States Senate representing New Mexico. Schmitt faced two-term Democratic incumbent, Joseph Montoya, whom he defeated 57%-42%. He served one term and, notably, was the ranking Republican member of the Science, Technology, and Space Subcommittee. He was defeated in a re-election bid in 1982 by Jeff Bingaman and, since then, has kept very busy as a consultant in business, geology, space, and public policy. He was awarded the Penrose Medal for his efforts in geoscience in 1984. He currently lives in Silver City, New Mexico, and enjoys spending a portion of his summer at his Northern Minnesota lake cabin.

Media

Schmitt, Harrison Schmitt, Harrison Schmitt, Harrison Schmitt, Harrison Schmitt, Harrison Schmitt, Harrison Schmitt, Harrison

1935

1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar).

Events

January


- January 1 - Italian colonies of Tripoli and Kyrenaika are joined together as Libya
- January 7 - Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French foreign minister Pierre Laval conclude agreement in which each power undertakes not to oppose the other's colonial claims. January 8( Elvis Presley is born in Tupelo, Mississippi.)
- January 8 - A.C. Hardy patents the spectrophotometer.
- January 11 - Amelia Earhart is the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
- January 16 - FBI kills Barker gang, including Ma Barker, in a shootout
- January 19 - Bloopers Inc. sold the world's first briefs.
- January 28 - Iceland becomes the first country to legalize abortion on medical grounds

February-May


- February - National Periodical Publications (later known as DC Comics) publishes its first comic book, New Fun Comics, the first comic book featuring original material.
- February 13 - A jury in Flemington, New Jersey finds Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's baby boy.
- February 20 - Karoline Mikkelsen arrives on Antarctica
- February 26 - The Luftwaffe is created as Germany's air force. (March 11?)
- February 28 - Nylon is discovered by Wallace Carothers
- March 16 - Adolf Hitler announces German rearmament in violation of the Versailles Treaty.
- March 19 - Riot breaks out in Harlem, NYC after a rumor that claims that police killed a shoplifter in the Kress' departmnt store
- March 21 - Persia is renamed Iran
- April 14 - Dust Bowl: The great dust storm, made famous by Woody Guthrie in his "dust bowl ballads". The hardest hit areas were where in Eastern New Mexico and Colorado, and western Oklahoma.
- April 25 - A shark on display at the Coogee Aquarium in Sydney disgorges the tattooed arm of ex-boxer James Smith. Man suspected of murdering him, Reg Holmes is shot dead before murder inquest is held.
- May 6 - New Deal: Executive Order 7034 creates the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
- May 29 - Construction of Hoover Dam is completed
- May 30 - Earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan - 26,000 dead

June-August


- June 9 - Ho-Umezu Agreement: China's Kuomintang government concedes Japanese military control of north-eastern China.
- June 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in New York City by William G. Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith.
- June 12 - Senator Huey Long of Louisiana makes the longest speech on Senate record. The speech took 15 1/2 hours and was filled by 150,000 words. [http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Huey_Long_Filibusters.htm]
- June 18 - Anglo-German Naval Agreement: Britain agrees to a German navy equal to 35% of her own naval tonnage.
- July 5 - Oliveira Salazar becomes de dacto dictator of fascist Portugal
- July 16 - World's first parking meters in Oklahoma City
- July 24 - The dust bowl heat wave reaches its peak, sending temperatures in Chicago, Illinois to a record-high 109°F (44°C)
- July 27 - Federal Writers' Project established in the United States
- June or July - The Giant neotropical toad is introduced to northernQueensland, Australia to counter sugar cane beetles.
- August 14 - United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs Social Security Act into law.

September-October


- September 2 - Labor Day Hurricane of 1935: A large hurricane hits the Florida Keys killing 423.
- September 8 - Carl Weiss fatally shot US Senator from Louisiana, Huey Long, nicknamed "Kingfish", in the Louisiana capitol building.
- September 13 - Howard Hughes sets new aviation speed record in his H-1.
- September 15 - Nuremberg Laws
- September 30 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Hoover Dam
- October 2-3 - Italian army invades Ethiopia under General de Bono (replaced November 11 by Pietro Badoglio)
- October 10 - A tornado destroyed the 160 metre tall wooden radio tower in Langenberg, Germany. As a result of this catastrophe, nearly no more wooden radio towers are built any more.

November-December


- November 5 - Parker Brothers releases the board game Monopoly.
- November 8 - A dozen labor leaders come together to announce the creation of the Congress for Industrial Organization (CIO), an organization charged with pushing the cause for industrial unionism.
- November 14 In General Election in Britain, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin returned to office at the head of a National Government led by the Conservative Party with a large but reduced majority.
- November 22 - The China Clipper takes off from Alameda, California in an attempt to deliver the first airmail cargo across the Pacific Ocean (the airplane later reached its destination, Manila, and delivered over 110,000 pieces of mail).
- November 24 - The Senegalese Socialist Party holds its second congress.
- December 18 - Samuel Hoare resigns as British foreign secretary; replaced by Anthony Eden. The socialist party of Sri Lanka, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party founded.
- December 27 - Mao Zedong issues the Wayaopao Manifesto: On Tactics Against Japanese Imperialism, calling for a National United Front against Japanese Invasion.

unknown dates


- First Penguin paperback books
- Mary McCleod Bethune founds the National Council of Negro Women

Births

January-February


- January 4 - Floyd Patterson, American boxer
- January 7 - Valeri Kubasov, cosmonaut
- January 7 - Kenny Davern, American jazz clarinetist
- January 8 - Elvis Presley, American singer (d. 1977)
- January 9 - Bob Denver, American actor (d. 2005)
- January 10 - Ronnie Hawkins, American musician
- January 10 - Sherrill Milnes, American baritone
- January 12 - Kreskin, mentalist
- January 14 - Lucille Wheeler, Canadian skier
- January 16 - A.J. Foyt, American race car driver
- January 16 - Udo Lattek, football coach
- January 17 - Ruth Ann Minner, Governor of Delaware
- January 30 - Richard Brautigan, American writer (d. 1984)
- January 31 - Kenzaburo Oe, Japanese writer, Nobel Prize laureate
- February 4 - Martti Talvela, Finnish bass (d. 1989)
- February 11 - Gerry Goffin, American songwriter
- February 11 - Gene Vincent, American guitarist and vocalist
- February 16 - Sonny Bono, American singer, actor, and politician (d. 1998)
- February 25 - Sally Jessy Raphaël, American talk show host
- February 27 - Mirella Freni, Italian soprano

March-July


- March 1 - Robert Conrad, American actor
- March 1 - Judith Rossner, American writer (d. 2005)
- March 6 - Ron Delany, Irish runner
- March 15 - Jimmy Swaggart, American televangelist
- March 15 - Judd Hirsch, American actor
- March 22 - M. Emmet Walsh, American actor
- March 24 - Peter Bichsel, Swiss writer
- March 25 - Gloria Steinem, American feminist and author
- March 26 - Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestine National Authority
- March 27 - Abelardo Castillo, Argentine writer
- March 31 - Richard Chamberlain, American actor
- March 31 - Herb Alpert, American trumpeter
- April 21 - Charles Grodin, American actor and journalist
- April 21 - Thomas Kean, Governor of New Jersey
- April 23 - Bunky Green, American jazz musician
- May 2 - Lance LeGault, American actor
- May 12 - Felipe Alou, Dominican Major League Baseball manager
- May 17 - Ryke Geerd Hamer, German cancer researcher
- May 17 - Dennis Potter, English writer (d. 1994)
- May 25 - Cookie Gilchrist, American football player
- May 27 - Lee Meriwether, American beauty queen and actress
- June 2 - Carol Shields, American-born writer (d. 2003)
- June 19 - Derren Nesbitt, British actor
- June 21 - Françoise Sagan, French writer (d. 2004)
- July 6 - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- July 8 - Vitali Sevastyanov, cosmonaut
- July 9 - Wim Duisenberg, Dutch economist and politician (d. 2005)
- July 13 - Jack Kemp, American football player
- July 17 - Peter Schickele, American composer and comedian
- July 17 - Donald Sutherland, Canadian actor
- July 18 - Jayendra Saraswathi, Hindu religious leader
- July 28 - Simon Dee, British television presenter
- July 29 - Peter Schreier, German tenor

August-October


- August 3 - Georgi Shonin, cosmonaut (d. 1997)
- August 15 - Lionel Taylor, American football player
- August 18 - Rafer Johnson, American athlete
- August 19 - Bobby Richardson, baseball player
- August 20 - Ron Paul, American politician
- August 30 - John Phillips, American singer (d. 2001)
- August 31 - Eldridge Cleaver, American activist (d. 1998)
- August 31 - Frank Robinson, baseball player
- September 1 - Seiji Ozawa, Japanese conductor
- September 11 - Gherman Titov, cosmonaut (d. 2000)
- September 11 - Arvo Pärt, estonian composer
- September 16 - Carl Andre, American artist
- September 16 - Bob Kiley, American public transit planner
- September 17 - Ken Kesey, American author (d. 2001)
- September 17 - Serge Klarsfeld, Romanian Nazi hunter
- September 30 - ZZ Hill, American musician
- September 30 - Johnny Mathis, American singer
- October 1 - Julie Andrews, English singer and actress
- October 6 - Bruno Sammartino, Italian professional wrestler
- October 9- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
- October 12 - Luciano Pavarotti, Italian tenor
- October 14 - La Monte Young, American composer
- October 15 - Bobby Joe Morrow, American athlete
- October 15 - Willie O'Ree, Canadian hockey player
- October 18 - Peter Boyle, American actor
- October 20 - Jerry Orbach, American actor (d. 2004)
- October 29 - Takahata Isao, Japanese animated film director
- October 30 - Agota Kristof, Hungarian writer
- October 31 - Ronald Graham, American mathematician

November-December


- November 1 - Edward Said, Palestinian-born literary critic (d. 2003)
- November 9 - Bob Gibson, baseball player
- November 10 - Igor Dmitrievich Novikov, Russian astrophysicist
- November 13 - George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
- November 14 - King Hussein of Jordan (d. 1999)
- November 17 - Toni Sailer, Austrian skier
- November 23 - Vladislav Volkov, cosmonaut
- December 1 - Woody Allen, American film director
- December 8 - Dharmendra, Indian actor
- December 11 - Pranab Mukherjee, Indian politician
- December 19 - Bobby Timmons, American jazz pianist (d. 1974)
- December 23 - Paul Hornung, American football player
- December 30 - Omar Bongo, President of Gabon
- December 30 - Sandy Koufax, baseball player

Deaths


- January 28 - Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, Russian composer (b. 1859)
- March 6 - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1841)
- March 16 - John James Richard Macleod, Scottish-born physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
- March 22 - Aleksander Moisiu, Albanian actor (b. 1879)
- April 14 - Emmy Noether, German mathematician (b. 1882)
- May 12 - Marshall Jozef Pilsudski, Polish politician (b. 1867)
- May 17 - Paul Dukas, French composer (b. 1865)
- May 18 - T. E. Lawrence, English soldier (Lawrence of Arabia) (b. 1888)
- May 19 - Charles Martin Loeffler, American composer (b. 1861)
- May 21 - Jane Addams, American social worker, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1860)
- May 29 - Josef Suk, Czech composer and violinist (b. 1874)
- July 3 - André Citroën, French automobile pioneer (b. 1878)
- July 12 - Alfred Dreyfus, French military officer (b. 1859)
- August 29 - Queen Astrid of Belgium (b. 1905)
- August 30 - Henri Barbusse, French novelist and journalist (b. 1873)
- September 28 - W.K. Dickson, Scottish inventor (b. 1860)
- November 2 - Jock Cameron, South African cricketer (b. 1905)
- October 20 - Arthur Henderson, Scottish politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1863)
- November 28 - Erich von Hornbostel, Austrian musicologist (b. 1877)
- December 2 - James Henry Breasted, American Egyptologist (b. 1865)
- December 4 - Johan Halvorsen, Norwegian composer (b. 1864)
- December 4 - Charles Robert Richet, French physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1850)
- December 13 - Victor Grignard, French chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1871)
- December 17 - Juan Vicente Gómez, Venezuelan military and dictador (b. 1857)
- December 21 - Kurt Tucholsky, German journalist and satirist (b. 1890)
- December 24 - Alban Berg, Austrian composer (b. 1885)

Nobel Prizes


- Physics - James Chadwick
- Chemistry - Frédéric Joliot, Irène Joliot-Curie
- Medicine - Hans Spemann
- Literature - not awarded
- Peace - Carl von Ossietzky Category:1935 ko:1935년 ms:1935 ja:1935年 simple:1935 th:พ.ศ. 2478

Geologist

A geologist is a contributor to the science of geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth. Their undergraduate training typically includes significant coursework in chemistry, physics, mathematics and possibly biology, in addition to classes offered through the geology department; volcanology, hydrology, and rock and mineral formation are among the many areas of study. Most geologists also need skills in GIS and other mapping techniques. Geology students may spend summers living and working under field conditions with faculty members. Geology courses are also highly valuable to students of geography, engineering, chemistry, urban planning, archaeology, environmental studies, and other fields. Professional geologists work for a wide range of government agencies, private firms, and non-profit and academic institutions. Local, state, and national governments hire geologists to help plan and evaluate excavations, construction sites, environmental remediation projects, and natural disaster preparedness, as well as to investigate natural resources. An engineering geologist (a geologist trained, experienced and certified in the field of engineering geology) is called upon to investigate geologic hazards and geologic constraints for the planning, design and construction of public and private engineering projects, forensic and post-mortem studies, environmental impact analysis and other purposes. Petroleum and mining companies and large-scale land developers use geologist's and engineering geologist's skills to help them locate oil and minerals, adapt to local features such as karst deposits or the risk of earthquakes, and comply with environmental regulations. Geologists in academia usually hold an advanced degree in a specialized area within the discipline. See also: List of geologists Category:Science occupations

Senate

A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. The word senate is derived from the Latin word senex (old man), via the Latin word senatus (senate). The members (or legislators) of a senate are called senators. The Latin word senator has been adopted by English with no change in spelling. Its meaning comes from a very ancient form of even simple social organization in which decision-making powers are reserved for the eldest men. For the same reason, the word senate is correctly used when referring to any powerful authority characteristically composed by the eldest members of a community, as a deliberative body of a faculty in an institution of higher learning is often called a senate. The original senate was the Roman Senate. Modern democratic states with bicameral parliamentary systems are sometimes equipped with a senate, often distinguished by an ordinary parallel lower house (known variously as the 'House of Representatives', 'Chamber of Deputies', 'National Assembly' or House of Assembly), by electoral rules (minimum age required for voters and candidates, proportional or majoritarian/plurality system, electoral basis = collegium). Typically, the senate is referred to as the upper house and has a smaller membership than the lower house. An example of this is the United States Senate where the number of seats is fixed at two per state, regardless of size. In a federal system, the senate often serves a balancing effect by giving a larger share of power to regions and groups which would otherwise be overwhelmed in a purely representative system. In the legislatures of U.S. states, Senates were also used for this purpose until the 1963 case of Baker v. Carr, in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that state legislatures must apportion seats in both houses according to population. However, there are still typically fewer members of a state Senate than there are members of the lower house. In the United States, each of its member states has a Senate and a lower chamber, known variously as the House of Representatives, House of Delegates, General Assembly or Assembly, except for the state of Nebraska, where the Senate is the only body of a unicameral legislature. Some senates, notably in Canada and the Commonwealth Caribbean, are appointed rather than elected. The Jamaican Senate, for example, has 21 members, thirteen appointed by the prime minister and eight by the leader of the opposition. This serves as a block on constitutional change, which requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber. A senate can also be the name of an executive branch of government. Until 1919, the Senate of Finland was the executive branch and supreme court. In Germany, the term Senate also has different meanings, referring to the executive branch of government rather than the legislature, and to the judiciary. In the city states of Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg, the executive is called the Senate ("Senat" in German, with Senators ("Senatoren") holding ministerial portfolios. Also in Germany, bodies of (usually five) judges in higher courts of appeal hearing and deciding cases are called "senates", although the the judges are not called "senators". However, in the Free State of Bavaria, the Senate was the upper house of parliament until its abolition in 1999. The title of senator can also be used for certain members of other legislative bodies, for example, some elected members of the States of Jersey, and nominated members of Dominica's House of Assembly and St Kitts and Nevis's National Assembly, are known as 'Senators'. In Scotland, judges of the High Court of Justiciary are called Senators of the College of Justice.

Senates around the world


- Argentina
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Fiji
- France
- Ireland (Seanad Éireann)
- Italy
- Mexico
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Poland
- Romania
- Spain
- United States

Defunct senates


- Bavaria (1999) 1
- Ethiopia (1974)2
- Iran (1979)3
- Kenya 1966 1
- Libya (1969)2
- Malta (1949)3
- Nicaragua (1979)3
- Northern Ireland (1921-1972)2
- South Africa
  - (1910-1981) 1
  - (1994-1997) 4
- Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (1971)1
- Peru (1993)3
- Turkey (1980s) 3
- Venezuela (2000)3 1. Senate abolished, unicameral system adopted.
2. Legislature disbanded.
3. New Constitution adopted.
4. Replaced by National Council of Provinces. Category:Legislatures Category:National upper houses ja:元老院

Moon

:For other moons in the solar system see natural satellite. For the astrological meaning of the Moon, see Solar system in astrology. For other uses see Moon (disambiguation). The Moon is the planet Earth's only natural satellite. It has no formal name other than "The Moon", although it is occasionally called Luna (Latin for moon), or Selene, to distinguish it from the generic "moon" (natural satellites of other planets are also called moons). Its symbol is a crescent (Unicode: ☾). The terms lunar, selene/seleno-, and cynthion (from the Lunar deities Selene and Cynthia) refer to the Moon (aposelene, selenocentric, pericynthion, etc.). The average distance from the Moon to the Earth is 384,403 kilometers (238,857 miles). The Moon's diameter is 3,476 kilometers (2,160 miles). The first manmade object to land on the Moon was Luna 2 in 1959, the first photographs of the otherwise occluded far side of the Moon were made by Luna 3 that same year, and the first people to land on the Moon came aboard Apollo 11 in 1969.

The two sides

The far side is sometimes called the "dark side". In this case "dark" means "unknown and hidden" and not "lacking light" as percieved by the name; in fact the far side receives (on average) as much sunlight as the near side, but at opposite times. Spacecraft are cut off from direct radio communication with the Earth when on the far side of the Moon. One distinguishing feature of the far side is its almost complete lack of maria (singular: mare), which are the dark albedo features.

Orbit

The Moon makes a complete orbit about once every 28 days. Each hour the Moon moves relative to the stars by an amount roughly equal to its angular diameter, or by about 0.5°. The Moon differs from most satellites of other planets in that its orbit is close to the plane of the ecliptic and not in the Earth's equatorial plane. Several ways to consider a complete orbit are detailed in the table below, but the two most familiar are: the sidereal month being the time it takes to make a complete orbit with respect to the stars, about 27.3 days; and the synodic month being the time it takes to reach the same phase, about 29.5 days. These differ because in the meantime the Earth and Moon have both orbited some distance around the Sun. The gravitational attraction that the Moon exerts on Earth is the cause of tides in the sea. The tidal flow period, but not the phase, is synchronized to the Moon's orbit around Earth. The tidal bulges on Earth, caused by the Moon's gravity, are carried ahead of the apparent position of the Moon by the Earth's rotation, in part because of the friction of the water as it slides over the ocean bottom and into or out of bays and estuaries. As a result, some of the Earth's rotational momentum is gradually being transferred to the Moon's orbital momentum, resulting in the Moon slowly receding from Earth at the rate of approximately 38 mm per year. At the same time the Earth's rotation is gradually slowing, the Earth's day thus lengthens by about 15 µs every year. A more detailed discussion follows in the section titled Earth & Moon. The Moon is in synchronous rotation, meaning that it keeps the same face turned to the Earth at all times. This synchronous rotation is only true on average because the Moon's orbit has definite eccentricity. When the Moon is at its perigee, its rotation is slower than its orbital motion, and this allows us to see up to an extra eight degrees of longitude of its East (right) side. Conversely, when the Moon reaches its apogee, its rotation is faster than its orbital motion and reveals another eight degrees of longitude of its West (left) side. This is called longitudinal libration. Because the lunar orbit is also inclined to the Earth's equator, the Moon seems to oscillate up and down (as a person's head does when nodding) as it moves in celestial latitude (declination). This is called latitudinal libration and reveals the Moon's polar zones over about seven degrees of latitude. Finally, because the Moon is only at about 60 Earth radii distance, an observer at the equator who observes the Moon throughout the night moves by an Earth diameter sideways. This is diurnal libration and reveals about one degree's worth of lunar longitude. Earth and Moon orbit about their barycenter, or common center of mass, which lies about 4700 km from Earth's center (about 3/4 of the way to the surface). Since the barycenter is located below the Earth's surface, Earth's motion is more commonly described as a "wobble". When viewed from Earth's North pole, Earth and Moon rotate counter-clockwise about their axes; the Moon orbits Earth counter-clockwise and Earth orbits the Sun counter-clockwise. It may seem curious that the inclination of the lunar orbit and the tilt of the Moon's axis of rotation are listed as varying considerably. One must be reminded here that the orbital inclination is measured with respect to the primary's equatorial plane (in this case the Earth's), and that the axis of rotation's tilt is measured with respect to the normal to the satellite's orbital plane (the Moon's). For most planetary satellites, but not for the Moon, these conventions model physical reality and the values are therefore stable. The plane of the lunar orbit maintains an inclination of 5.145 396° with respect to the ecliptic (the orbital plane of the Earth), and the lunar axis of rotation maintains an inclination of 1.5424° with respect to the normal to that same plane. The lunar orbital plane precesses quickly (i.e. its intersection with the ecliptic rotates clockwise), in 6793.5 days (18.5996 years), mostly because of the gravitational perturbation induced by the Sun. During that period, the lunar orbital plane thus sees its inclination with respect to the Earth's equator (itself inclined 23.45° to the ecliptic) vary between 23.45° + 5.15° = 28.60° and 23.45° - 5.15° = 18.30°. Simultaneously, the axis of lunar rotation sees its tilt with respect to the Moon's orbital plane vary between 5.15° + 1.54° = 6.69° and 5.15° - 1.54° = 3.60°. Note that the Earth's tilt reacts to this process and itself varies by 0.002 56° on either side of its mean value; this is called nutation. The points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic are called the "lunar nodes": the North (or ascending) node is where the Moon crosses to the North of the ecliptic; the South (or descending) node where it crosses to the South. Solar eclipses occur when a node coincides with the new Moon; lunar eclipses when a node coincides with the full Moon.

Earth & Moon

The tides on Earth are generated by the Moon's gravitation (see tide and tidal force for a more detailed discussion). There are two tidal bulges, one in the direction of the Moon, and one in the opposite direction (figure 1). The buildup of these bulges and their movement around the earth causes an energy loss due to friction. The energy loss decreases the rotational energy of the Earth. Since the Earth spins faster than the Moon moves around it, the tidal bulges are dragged along with the Earth's surface faster than the Moon moves, and move "in front of the Moon" (figure 2). Because of this, the Earth's gravitational pull on the Moon has a component in the Moon's "forward" direction with respect to its orbit. This component of the gravitational forces between the two bodies acts like a torque on the Earth's rotation, and transfers angular momentum and rotational energy from the Earth's spin to the Moon's orbital movement. angular momentum Because the Moon is accelerated in forward direction, it moves to a higher orbit. As a result, the distance between the Earth and Moon increases, and the Earth's spin slows down (figure 3). Measurements reveal that the Moon's distance to the Earth increases by 38 mm per year (lunar laser ranging experiments with laser reflectors are used to determine this). Atomic clocks also show that the Earth's day lengthens by about 15 µs every year. However, the formation of tidal bulges on Earth is irregular and not directly related to the frictional energy loss which accompanies the tides. For example, continents on Earth may cause an increase in frictional energy losses and hamper the buildup of tidal bulges (figure 4). The energy loss of the Earth's spin (loss of rotational energy of the Earth) is related to both the energy transfer to the Moon, which depends on the geometry of the mass distributions on Earth (causing a gravity component which pulls the Moon forward), and also to frictional losses, which depends on the properties of the material moving around within tides. The transfer of angular momentum to the Moon's orbit, in contrast, depends only on the geometry of the mass distribution. In general, the angular momentum transferred to the Moon will not correspond to an equivalent energy transfer. There will be a surplus or a deficit in the transfer of angular momentum to the Moon, compared to the energy transfer (figure 5). Since both angular momentum and energy are conserved, there must be a mechanism on earth to store a surplus or a deficit of angular momentum. Candidates for this mechanism are the Earth's magnetic field and internal material currents of the Earth (figure 6). The lunar surface is also subjected to tides from earth, and rises and falls by around 10 cm over 27 days. The lunar tides comprise a mobile component, due to the Sun, and a selenographically fixed one, due to Earth (the Moon keeps the same face turned to the Earth, but not to the Sun). The vertical motion of the Earth-induced component comes entirely from the Moon's orbital eccentricity; if the Moon's orbit were perfectly circular, there would be solar tides only. The magnitude of the Moon's tides corresponds to a Love number of 0.0266, and supports the idea of a partially melted zone around its core. Moonquake waves lose energy below 1000 km depth, and this may also show that the deep material is at least partially melted. The Earth’s Love number is 0.3, corresponding to a movement of 0.5 metres per day; for Venus the Love number is also 0.3. (Source: Patrick Moore, The Data Book of Astronomy - June 2003 Updates)

Origin and history

magnetic field The inclination of the Moon's orbit makes it implausible that the Moon formed along with the Earth or was captured later; its origin is the subject of some scientific debate. Early speculation proposed that the Moon broke off from the Earth's crust due to centrifugal force, leaving an ocean basin (presumed to be the Pacific) behind as a scar. This concept requires too great an initial spin of the Earth. Others speculated the Moon formed elsewhere and was captured into its orbit. Two of the other theories include the coformation or condensation theory and the impact theory, which speculates that the Moon formed from the debris that resulted from a collision between the early Earth and a planetesimal. The Coformation or Condensation hypothesis posits that the Earth and the Moon formed together at about the same time from the primordial accretion disk, the Moon forming from material surrounding the coalescing proto-Earth, similar to the way the planets formed around the Sun. Some suggest that this hypothesis fails to adequately explain the depletion of iron in the Moon. Recently, the Giant Impact theory has been considered a more viable scientific theory for the moon's origin than the coformation or condensation theory. The Giant Impact theory holds that the Moon formed from the ejecta resulting from a collision between a semi-molten Earth and a planet-like object the size of Mars, which has been referred to as Theia. The geological epochs of the Moon are defined based on the dating of various significant impact events in the Moon's history. Analysis of craters and Moon rocks show that there was a late heavy bombardment by asteroids around the period 4000 to 3800 million years ago. Tidal forces deformed the once molten Moon into an ellipsoid, with the major axis pointed towards Earth.

Physical characteristics

Composition

More than 4.5 billion years ago, the surface of the Moon was a liquid magma ocean. Scientists think that one component of lunar rocks, KREEP (K-potassium, Rare Earth Elements, and P-phosphorus), represents the last chemical remnant of that magma ocean. KREEP is actually a composite of what scientists term "incompatible elements": those which cannot fit into a crystal structure and thus were left behind, floating to the surface of the magma. For researchers, KREEP is a convenient tracer, useful for reporting the story of the volcanic history of the lunar crust and chronicling the frequency of impacts by comets and other celestial bodies. The lunar crust is composed of a variety of primary elements, including uranium, thorium, potassium, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, iron, titanium, calcium, aluminium and hydrogen. When bombarded by cosmic rays, each element bounces back into space its own radiation, in the form of gamma rays. Some elements, such as uranium, thorium and potassium, are radioactive and emit gamma rays on their own. However, regardless of what causes them, gamma rays for each element are all different from one another — each produces a unique spectral "signature", detectable by a spectrometer. A complete global mapping of the Moon for the abundance of these elements has never been performed. However, some spacecraft have done so for portions of the Moon; Galileo did so when it flew by the Moon in 1992. [http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00131] The overall composition of the Moon is believed to be similar to that of the Earth other than a depletion of volatile elements and of iron.

Selenography

1992 photo.]] When observed with earth based telescopes, the moon can be seen to have some 30,000 craters having a diameter of at least 1 kilometers, but close up observation from lunar orbit reveals a multitude of ever smaller craters. Most are hundreds of millions or billions of years old; the lack of atmosphere or weather or recent geological processes ensures that most of them remain permanently preserved. In the lunar terrae, it is indeed impossible to add a crater of any size without obliterating another; this is termed saturation. The largest crater on the Moon, and indeed the largest known crater within the solar system, forms the South Pole-Aitken basin. This crater is located on the far side, near the south pole, and is some 2,240 km in diameter, and 13 km in depth. The dark and relatively featureless lunar plains are called maria, Latin for seas, since they were believed by ancient astronomers to be water-filled seas. They are actually vast ancient basaltic lava flows that filled the basins of large impact craters. The lighter-colored highlands are called terrae. Maria are found almost exclusively on the Lunar nearside, with the Lunar farside having only a few scattered patches. Scientists think that this asymmetry of lunar features was caused by the synchronization between the Moon's rotation and orbit about the Earth. This synchronization exposes the far side of the Moon to more asteroid and meteor impacts than the near, thereby allowing the maria on the near side to remain relatively undisturbed for many hundreds of millennia. Blanketed atop the Moon's crust is a dusty outer rock layer called regolith. Both the crust and regolith are unevenly distributed over the entire Moon. The crust ranges from 60 km (38 mi) on the near side to 100 km (63 mi) on the far side. The regolith varies from 3 to 5 m (10 to 16 ft) in the maria to 10 to 20 m (33 to 66 ft) in the highlands. In 2004, a team led by Dr. Ben Bussey of Johns Hopkins University using images taken by the Clementine mission determined that four mountainous regions on the rim of the 73 km wide Peary crater at the Moon's north pole appeared to remain illuminated for the entire Lunar day. These unnamed "mountains of eternal light" are possible due to the Moon's extremely small axial tilt, which also gives rise to permanent shadow at the bottoms of many polar craters. No similar regions of eternal light exist at the less-mountainous south pole, although the rim of Shackleton crater is illuminated for 80% of the lunar day. Clementine's images were taken during the northern Lunar hemisphere's summer season, and it remains unknown whether these four mountains are shaded at any point during their local winter season.

Presence of water

Over time, comets and meteorites continuously bombard the Moon. Many of these objects are water-rich. Energy from sunlight splits much of this water into its constituent elements hydrogen and oxygen, both of which usually fly off into space immediately. However, it has been hypothesized that significant traces of water remain on the Moon, either on the surface, or embedded within the crust. The results of the Clementine mission suggested that small, frozen pockets of water ice (remnants of water-rich comet impacts) may be embedded unmelted in the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar crust. Although the pockets are thought to be small, the overall amount of water was suggested to be quite significant — 1 km³. Some water molecules, however, may have literally hopped along the surface and gotten trapped inside craters at the lunar poles. Due to the very slight "tilt" of the Moon's axis, only 1.5°, some of these deep craters never receive any light from the Sun — they are permanently shadowed. Clementine has mapped ([http://www.lpi.usra.edu/research/clemen/clemen.html]) craters at the lunar south pole ([http://www.lpi.usra.edu/research/clemen/2polar.gif]) which are shadowed in this way. It is in such craters that scientists expect to find frozen water if it is there at all. If found, water ice could be mined and then split into hydrogen and oxygen by solar panel-equipped electric power stations or a nuclear generator. The presence of usable quantities of water on the Moon would be an important factor in rendering lunar habitation cost-effective, since transporting water (or hydrogen and oxygen) from Earth would be prohibitively expensive. Clementine twisting the shadow due to the fact that cosmic rays are charged particles.]] The equatorial Moon rock collected by Apollo astronauts contained no traces of water. Neither the Lunar Prospector nor more recent surveys, such as those of the Smithsonian Institution, have found direct evidence of lunar water, ice, or water vapor. Lunar Prospector results, however, indicate the presence of hydrogen in the permanently shadowed regions, which could be in the form of water ice.

Magnetic field

Compared to that of Earth, the Moon has a very weak magnetic field. While some of the Moon's magnetism is thought to be intrinsic (such as a strip of the lunar crust called the Rima Sirsalis), collision with other celestial bodies might have imparted some of the Moon's magnetic properties. Indeed, a long-standing question in planetary science is whether an airless solar system body, such as the Moon, can obtain magnetism from impact processes such as comets and asteroids. Magnetic measurements can also supply information about the size and electrical conductivity of the lunar core — evidence that will help scientists better understand the Moon's origins. For instance, if the core contains more magnetic elements (such as iron) than Earth, then the impact theory loses some credibility (although there are alternate explanations for why the lunar core might contain less iron).

Atmosphere

The Moon has a relatively insignificant and tenuous atmosphere. One source of this atmosphere is outgassing — the release of gases, for instance radon, which originate deep within the Moon's interior. Another important source of gases is the solar wind, which is briefly captured by the Moon's gravity.

Eclipses

The angular diameters of the Moon and the Sun as seen from Earth overlap in their variation, so that both total and annular solar eclipses are possible. In a total eclipse, the Moon completely covers the disc of the Sun and the solar corona becomes visible to the naked eye. Since the distance between the Moon and the Earth is very slightly increasing over time, the angular diameter of the Moon is decreasing. This means that several million years ago the Moon always completely covered the Sun on solar eclipses so that no annular eclipses occurred. Likewise, in several million years the Moon will no longer cover the Sun completely and no total eclipses will occur. Eclipses happen only if Sun, Earth and Moon are lined up. Solar eclipses can only occur at new moon; lunar eclipses can only occur at full moon. See also Solar eclipse and Lunar Eclipse.

Observation of the Moon

Lunar Eclipse During the brightest full moons, the Moon can have an apparent magnitude of about −12.6. For comparison, the Sun has an apparent magnitude of −26.8. The Moon appears larger when close to the horizon. This is a purely psychological effect (see Moon illusion). The angular diameter of the Moon from Earth is about one half of one degree. Various lighter and darker colored areas (primarily maria) create the patterns seen by different cultures as the Man in the Moon, the rabbit and the buffalo, amongst others. Craters and mountain chains are also prominent lunar features. From any location on Earth, the highest altitude of the Moon on a day varies between the same limits as the Sun, and depends on season and lunar phase. For example, in winter the Moon is highest in the sky when it is full, and the full moon is highest in winter. The orientation of the Moon's crescent side also depends on the latitude of the observing site. Close to the equator an observer can see a boat Moon. [http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=393] Like the Sun, the Moon can also give rise to an optical effect known as a halo. For more information on how the Moon appears in Earth's sky, see Lunar phase.

Exploration of the Moon

Lunar phase prepares to descend towards the surface of the Moon. NASA photo.]] NASA standing next to boulder at Taurus-Littrow during third EVA (extravehicular activity). NASA photo.]] The first leap in Lunar observation was caused by the invention of the telescope. Especially Galileo Galilei made good use of this new instrument and observed mountains and craters on the Moon's surface. The Cold War-inspired space race between the Soviet Union and the United States of America led to an acceleration. What was the next big step is politically laden. In the US (and the West in general) the landing of the first humans on the moon in 1969 is seen as a culmination, indeed of the space race in general. But from a scientific point of view the first photographs of the until then unseen far side of the moon in 1959 constituted the second leap in Lunar observation. 1959 and Luna missions]] The first man-made object to reach the Moon was the unmanned Soviet probe Luna 2, which made a hard landing on September 14, 1959, at 21:02:24 Z. The far side of the Moon was first photographed on October 7, 1959 by the Soviet probe Luna 3. Luna 9 was the first probe to soft land on the Moon and transmit pictures from the Lunar surface on February 3, 1966. It was proven that a lunar lander would not sink into a thick layer of dust, as had been feared. The first artificial satellite of the Moon was the Soviet probe Luna 10 (launched March 31, 1966). The first robot lunar rover to land on the Moon was the Soviet vessel Lunokhod 1 on November 17 1970 as part of the Lunokhod program. On December 24, 1968 the crew of Apollo 8, Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders became the first human beings to see the far side of the Moon with their own eyes (as opposed to seeing it on a photograph). Humans first landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. The first man to walk on the lunar surface was Neil Armstrong, commander of the American mission Apollo 11. The last man to stand on the Moon was Eugene Cernan, who as part of the mission Apollo 17 walked on the Moon in December 1972. See also: A full list of lunar astronauts. Moon samples have been brought back to Earth by three Luna missions (nrs. 16, 20, and 24) and the Apollo missions 11 through 17 (minus Apollo 13, which almost ended in a disaster). On January 14 2004, US President George W. Bush called for a plan to return manned missions to the Moon by 2020. NASA's [http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/cev.html plan] to accomplish that goal was announced on March 19 2005, and was promptly dubbed Apollo 2.0 by critics. The European Space Agency has plans to launch probes to explore the Moon in the near future, too. European spacecraft Smart 1 was launched September 27, 2003 and entered lunar orbit on November 15 2004. It will survey the lunar environment and create an X-ray map of the Moon. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2818551.stm] [http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=36091] The People's Republic of China has expressed ambitious plans for exploring the Moon and is investigating the prospect of lunar mining, specifically looking for the isotope Helium-3 for use as an energy source on Earth [http://space.com/missionlaunches/china_moon_030304.html]. Japan has two planned lunar missions, LUNAR-A and Selene; even a manned lunar base is planned by the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA). India will also try an unmanned orbiting satellite, called Chandrayan. From the mid-1960's to the mid-1970's there were 65 moon landings (with 10 in 1971 alone), but after Luna 24 in 1976 it suddenly stopped. The Soviet Union started focusing on Venus and space stations and the US on Mars and beyond. In 1990 Japan visited the moon with the Hiten spacecraft, becoming the third country to orbit the moon. The spacecraft released the Hagormo probe into lunar orbit, but the transmitter failed rendering the mission scientifically useless.

Human understanding of the Moon

Myth and folk culture

The Moon as muse

The Moon has been the subject of many works of art and literature and the inspiration for countless others.

Astrology

Scientific understanding

A 5,000 year old rock carving at Knowth, Ireland may represent the Moon, which would be the earliest depiction discovered. In many prehistoric and ancient cultures, the Moon was thought to be a deity or other supernatural phenomenon. Among the first in the Western world to offer a scientific explanation for the Moon was the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras, who reasoned that the Sun and Moon were both giant spherical rocks, and that the latter reflected the light of the former. His atheistic view of the heavens was one cause for his imprisonment and eventual exile. By the Middle Ages, before the invention of the telescope, more and more people began to recognize the Moon as a sphere, though they believed that it was "perfectly smooth". sphere In 1609, Galileo Galilei drew one of the first telescopic drawings of the Moon in his book Sidereus Nuncius and noted that it was not smooth but had craters. Later in the 17th century, Giovanni Battista Riccioli and Francesco Maria Grimaldi drew a map of the Moon and gave many craters the names they still have today. Francesco Maria Grimaldi. Surprisingly, the Moon is actually brighter than the Sun at gamma ray wavelengths.]] On maps, the dark parts of the Moon's surface were called maria (singular mare) or "seas", and the light parts were called terrae or continents. The possibility that the Moon could contain vegetation and be inhabited by "selenites" was seriously considered by some major astronomers even into the first decades of the 19th century. In 1835, the Great Moon Hoax fooled some people into thinking that there were exotic animals living on the Moon. Almost at the same time however (during 1834–1836), Wilhelm Beer and Johann Heinrich Mädler were publishing their four-volume Mappa Selenographica and the book Der Mond in 1837, which firmly established the conclusion that the Moon has no bodies of water nor any appreciable atmosphere. There remained some controversy over whether features on the Moon could undergo changes. Some observers claimed that some small craters had appeared or disappeared, but in the 20th century it was determined that these claims were illusory, due to observing under different lighting conditions or due to the inadequacy of earlier drawings. It is however known that the phenomenon of outgassing occasionally occurs. During the Nazi era in Germany, the Welteislehre theory, which claimed the Moon was made of solid ice, was promoted by Nazi leaders. The far side of the Moon remained completely unknown until the Luna 3 probe was launched in 1959, and was extensively mapped by the Lunar Orbiter program in the 1960s. From the 1950s through the 1990s, NASA aerodynamicist Dean Chapman and others advanced the "lunar origin" theory of tektites. Chapman used complex orbital computer models and extensive wind tunnel tests to support the theory that the so-called Australasian tektites originated from the Rosse ejecta ray of the large crater Tycho on the Moon's nearside. Until the Rosse ray is sampled, a lunar origin for these tektites cannot be ruled out. In 1997 the asteroid 3753 Cruithne was found to have an unusual Earth-associated orbit, and has been dubbed by some to be a second "moon" of Earth. It is not considered a moon by astronomers, however, and its orbit is not stable in the long term.

Legal status

Though several flags of the United States have been symbolically planted on the moon, the U.S. government makes no claim to any part of the Moon's surface. The U.S. is party to the Outer Space Treaty, which places the Moon under the same jurisdiction as international waters (res communis). This treaty also restricts use of the Moon to peaceful purposes, explicitly banning weapons of mass destruction (including nuclear weapons) and military installations of any kind. A second treaty, the Moon Treaty, was proposed to restrict the exploitation of the Moon's resources by any single nation, but it has not been signed by any of the space-faring nations. Several individuals have made claims to the Moon in whole or in part, though none of these claims are generally considered credible (see Moon for sale).

Satellites


- Clementine mission - Observation and research satellite
- Smart 1 (or SMART-1) - a European Space Agency research satellite

Surface installations

Multiple scientific instruments were installed during the Apollo missions, some of them still function today. Among those were seismic detectors and reflecting mirrors for laser ranging. laser ranging laser ranging

See also


- Apollo moon landing hoax accusations
- Blue moon
- Chang'e (mythology), Chinese moon goddess
- Crescent
- Colonization of the Moon
- Detailed image of an almost full Moon
- Earthshine
- Lunar effect
- Lunar geologic timescale
- Lunar mare
- Lunar meteorite
- Lunar phase
- Moon landing
- Selene, Greek moon goddess
- Transient lunar phenomenon

Lunar location listings


- List of artificial objects on the Moon
- List of craters on the Moon
- List of features on the Moon
- List of maria on the Moon
- List of mountains on the Moon
- List of valleys on the Moon

References


- Ben Bussey and Paul Spudis, The Clementine Atlas of the Moon, Cambridge University Press, 2004, ISBN 0521815282.
- Patrick Moore, On the Moon, Sterling Publishing Co., 2001 edition, ISBN 0304354694.
- Paul D. Spudis, The Once and Future Moon, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996, ISBN 1-56098-634-4.

External links

Moon phases


- [http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/vphase.html US Naval Observatory: phase of the Moon for any date and time 1800-2199 A.D.]
- [http://www.moonphaseinfo.com/ Current Moon Phase]
- [http://www.bapuli.co.nr/moon.htm Display current moon phase as wallpaper in Windows]

Space missions


- [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/research/lunar_orbiter/ Digital Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon]
- [http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_archive.html The Project Apollo Archive]
- [http://www.cmf.nrl.navy.mil/clementine/clib/ Clementine Lunar Image Browser]

Scientific


- [http://www.solarviews.com/eng/moon.htm The Moon - by Rosanna and Calvin Hamilton]
- [http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/luna.html The Moon - by Bill Arnett]
- [http://www.inconstantmoon.com Inconstant Moon - by Kevin Clarke]
- [http://www.moonsociety.org The Moon Society (non-profit educational site)]
- [http://cps.earth.northwestern.edu/GHM/ Geologic History of the Moon by Don Wilhelms]
- [http://isthis4real.com/orbit.xml Can you put the moon into orbit? An interactive simulation - (Needs Firefox 1.5)]

Myth and folklore


- [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_337.html Do things get crazy when the moon is full? by Cecil Adams]
- [http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bluemoon1.html Once in a Blue Moon - What is a blue moon? by Ann-Marie Imbornoni]
- [http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/folklore/10667 The Moon In Folklore - by Virginia Marin]
- [http://www.laputanlogic.com/articles/2004/04/05-0001.html The Rabbit in the Moon - by John Hardy]

Others


- [http://webgis.wr.usgs.gov/the_moon.htm USGS Planetary GIS webserver - the Moon]
- [http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Lunar-Scenes-Apo-Perigee.htm The Moon at Apogee and Perigee] (striking photographic comparison)
- [http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Lunar-Scenes-Sounion-01.htm The Full Moon Rising: I] (striking photo - NOT a composite)
- [http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Lunar-Scenes-Sounion-02.htm The Full Moon Rising: II] (striking photo - NOT a composite)
- [http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Lunar-Scenes-Sounion-03.htm The Full Moon Rising: III] (striking photo - NOT a composite)
- [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_110.html Why does the Moon appear bigger near the horizon?] (from The Straight Dope)
- [http://www.badastronomy.com Bad Astronomy]: Dr. Philip Plait, an astronomy professor at Sonoma State University, California, runs this site to explain the many cases of incorrect astronomy (and physics) available to the public, including astrology and the Apollo moon landing hoax accusations.
- [http://www.lunarrepublic.com/atlas/index.shtml The Lunar Navigator: Interactive Maps Of The Moon] features free, interactive online access to maps of the Moon's surface
- [http://www.moonpeople.com A comprehensive guide to the Earth's Moon] (Includes a discussion forum)
- [http://www.traipse.com/earth_and_moon/index.html Distance from the Earth to the Moon, illustrated]
- [http://www.ibiblio.org//e-notes/VRML/Globe/Globe.htm 3D VRML Moon globe] zh-min-nan:Go̍eh-niû ko:달 ms:Bulan (satelit) ja:月 simple:Moon th:ดวงจันทร์

Silver City, New Mexico

Silver City is a town located in Grant County, New Mexico. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 10,545. It is the county seat of Grant County. It was the end of 'the race' in the movie Rat Race.

Geography

Rat Race Silver City is located at 32°46'41" North, 108°16'27" West (32.777943, -108.274273). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.3 km² (10.1 mi²). 26.3 km² (10.1 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 10,545 people, 4,227 households, and 2,730 families residing in the town. The population density is 401.5/km² (1,040.1/mi²). There are 4,757 housing units at an average density of 181.1/km² (469.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 71.72% White, 0.86% African American, 1.14% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 22.42% from other races, and 3.37% from two or more races. 52.43% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 4,227 households out of which 30.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% are married couples living together, 15.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% are non-families. 30.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 3.00. In the town the population is spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.7 males. The median income for a household in the town is $25,881, and the median income for a family is $31,374. Males have a median income of $28,476 versus $18,434 for females. The per capita income for the town is $13,813. 21.9% of the population and 17.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.2% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

Category:Grant County, New Mexico Category:Towns in New Mexico



1957

1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January-February


- January 1 - Saarland joins West Germany
- January 2 - San Francisco and Los Angeles stock exchanges merge to form Pacific Coast Stock Exchange.
- January 3 - Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch
- January 4 - After 69 years the last issue of Collier's Weekly magazine is published
- January 5 - Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be dismissed handled the ball in test match cricket
- January 10 - Anthony Eden resigns - Harold Macmillan becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- January 11 - The African Convention is founded in Dakar.
- January 13 - Wham-O Company produces the first Frisbee
- January 16 - The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool
- January 22 - Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula (they captured it from Egypt in a battle on October 29, 1956)
- January 22 - The New York City "Mad Bomber," George P. Metesky, is arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut and is charged with planting more than 30 bombs.
- January 23 - Ku Klux Klan members force truck driver Willie Edwards to jump off a bridge into the Alabama River - he drowns as a result.
- February 4 - France prohibits UN involvement in Algeria
- February 15 - Andrei Gromyko becomes foreign minister of Soviet Union

March

Soviet Union
- March 1 - U Nu becomes Prime Minister of Burma
- March 1 - Arturo Lezama becomes President of the National Council of Government of Uruguay
- March 1 - Sud Aviation forms from a merger between SNCASE (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Est) and SNCASO (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Ouest)
- March 6 - United Kingdom colonies Gold Coast and British Togoland become the independent Republic of Ghana
- March 8 - Egypt re-opens the Suez Canal
- March 10 - Floodgates of The Dalles Dam are closed inundating Celilo Falls and ancient indian fisheries along the Columbia River in Oregon.
- March 13 - The FBI arrests Jimmy Hoffa and charges him with bribery
- March 14 - President Sukarno declares martial law in Indonesia
- March 20 - French newspaper L'Express reveals that the French army tortures Algerian prisoners
- March 25 - Treaty of Rome (patto di Roma) establishes the European Economic Community (EEC); see EU

April-June


- April 1 - The first new conscripts join the Bundeswehr
- April 5 - First elected government of Kerala. CPI won the elections and E. M. S. Namboodiripad became the first chief minister of united Kerala
- April 9 - Egypt reopens Suez Canal for all shipping
- April 12 - United Kingdom announces that Singapore will gain self rule January 1 1958
- April 12 - Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl, printed in England, is seized by U.S. customs officials on the grounds of obscenity
- May 2 - Vincent Gigante fails to assassinate mafioso Frank Costello
- May 2 - Senator Joseph McCarthy of the Red Scare dies.
- May 3 - Walter O'Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, agrees to move the team from Brooklyn, New York, to Los Angeles, California.
- May 15 - Stanley Matthews plays his final international game, ending an English record international career of almost 23 years
- May 16 - Paul-Henri Spaak becomes the new Secretary General of NATO.
- June 9 - First ascent of Broad Peak
- June 15 - Eindhoven University of Technology is founded.
- June 21 - John Diefenbaker becomes Canada's thirteenth prime minister.
- June 25 - United Church of Christ formed in Cleveland, Ohio by merger of Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
- June 27 - Hurricane Audrey demolishes Cameron, Louisiana, killing 400 people.

July-September


- July - International Geophysical Year begins.
- July 16 - United States Marine Major John Glenn flies an F8U supersonic jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds setting a new transcontinental speed record.
- July 25 - Tunisia becomes a republic.
- July 29 - The International Atomic Energy Agency is established.
- August 4 - Juan Manuel Fangio, driving for Maserati, wins the Formula One German Grand Prix, clinching (with 4 wins that season) his record fifth world drivers championship, including his fourth consecutive championship (also a record); these two records would endure for nearly half a