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  • The Moon

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    Ryrl Shin
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    The document discusses natural satellites or moons. It defines a natural satellite as an astronomical body that orbits a planet, dwarf planet, or small Solar System body. There are over 200 known natural satellites in our Solar System orbiting planets and dwarf planets. The first known natural satellite was Earth's Moon, though it was originally considered a planet. The term "satellite" to describe orbiting bodies was first used by Johannes Kepler in 1610 to refer to Jupiter's moons. There is no clear definition for what qualifies as a moon, but generally an object is considered a moon if its barycenter is below the surface of the larger body it orbits.

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    The document discusses natural satellites or moons. It defines a natural satellite as an astronomical body that orbits a planet, dwarf planet, or small Solar System body. There are over 200 known natural satellites in our Solar System orbiting planets and dwarf planets. The first known natural satellite was Earth's Moon, though it was originally considered a planet. The term "satellite" to describe orbiting bodies was first used by Johannes Kepler in 1610 to refer to Jupiter's moons. There is no clear definition for what qualifies as a moon, but generally an object is considered a moon if its barycenter is below the surface of the larger body it orbits.

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    33 views13 pages

    The Moon

    Uploaded by

    Ryrl Shin
    The document discusses natural satellites or moons. It defines a natural satellite as an astronomical body that orbits a planet, dwarf planet, or small Solar System body. There are over 200 known natural satellites in our Solar System orbiting planets and dwarf planets. The first known natural satellite was Earth's Moon, though it was originally considered a planet. The term "satellite" to describe orbiting bodies was first used by Johannes Kepler in 1610 to refer to Jupiter's moons. There is no clear definition for what qualifies as a moon, but generally an object is considered a moon if its barycenter is below the surface of the larger body it orbits.

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    of 13

    CHAPTER 1: The Birth of

    Astronomical Studies
    - THE MOON
    MERLPA MAY R. ALCARDE
    Natural Satellite or “Moon”

    • A natural satellite is, in the most common usage, an


    astronomical body that orbits a planet, dwarf planet, or
    small Solar System body (or sometimes another natural
    satellite). Natural satellites are often colloquially referred
    to as moons, a derivation from the Moon of Earth.
    • In the Solar System, there are six planetary satellite
    systems containing 207 known natural satellites altogether.
    Seven objects commonly considered dwarf planets by
    astronomers are also known to have natural satellites:
    Orcus, Pluto, Haumea, Quaoar, Makemake, Gonggong,
    and Eris. As of November 2021, there are 442 other minor
    planets known to have natural satellites.
    I. Terminology

    • The first known natural satellite was the Moon, but it


    was considered a "planet" until Copernicus' introduction
    of De revolutionibus orbium coelestium in 1543.
    • The first to use the term satellite to describe orbiting
    bodies was the German astronomer Johannes Kepler in
    his pamphlet Narratio de Observatis a se quatuor Iouis
    satellitibus erronibus ("Narration About Four Satellites of
    Jupiter Observed") in 1610.
    • He derived the term from the Latin word satelles,
    meaning "guard", "attendant", or "companion",
    because the satellites accompanied their primary planet
    in their journey through the heavens.
    • Until the discovery of the Galilean satellites in 1610
    there was no opportunity for referring to such objects as
    a class.
    • The term satellite thus became the normal one for
    referring to an object orbiting a planet, as it avoided the
    ambiguity of "moon".
    • To prevent confusion, while referring to Earth's natural
    satellite (a proper noun), the word Moon is capitalized,
    but not when referring to other natural satellites (common
    nouns). Many authors define "satellite" or "natural
    satellite" as an object orbiting a planet or minor planet,
    which is synonymous with "moon" – all natural satellites
    are moons by this definition, but Earth and other planets
    are not satellites.
    Definition of a Moon

    What is considered a "moon" has no established lower


    limit. Every natural celestial body with an identified orbit
    around a Solar System planet, some as tiny as a kilometer
    across, has been referred to as a moon, however objects a
    tenth that size within Saturn's rings that have not been
    directly detected have been referred to as moonlets.
    The highest limit is likewise a little hazy. Asteroids like
    90 Antiope are classified as double asteroids, but they
    haven't compelled a clear definition of a moon.
    According to some authors, the Pluto–Charon system is a
    double (dwarf) planet system. The most common dividing
    line between what is considered a moon and what is not
    depends on whether the barycentre is below the surface of
    the larger body, though this is somewhat arbitrary because
    it depends on both distance and relative mass. What is
    considered a "moon" has no established lower limit.

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