What will I learn about: The Apollo 11 moon landing was primarily driven by Cold War political rivalry and the United States' urgent desire to prove ideological superiority over the Soviet Union?

The Apollo 11 moon landing was primarily driven by Cold War political rivalry and the United States' urgent desire to prove ideological superiority over the Soviet Union.

What will I learn about: The Apollo missions revealed that the lunar surface is covered in a fine-grained dust called regolith, which smells remarkably like damp gunpowder?

The Apollo missions revealed that the lunar surface is covered in a fine-grained dust called regolith, which smells remarkably like damp gunpowder.

What will I learn about: Because lunar and Earth rocks share virtually identical chemical compositions, scientists hypothesize the moon was formed from a fragment that split off during a planetary merger?

Because lunar and Earth rocks share virtually identical chemical compositions, scientists hypothesize the moon was formed from a fragment that split off during a planetary merger.

What will I learn about: While the moon's gravitational pull deeply influences the biological clocks of marine life, the idea that it affects human psychology or biology is entirely a myth?

While the moon's gravitational pull deeply influences the biological clocks of marine life, the idea that it affects human psychology or biology is entirely a myth.

What will I learn about: Establishing a permanent moon base would revolutionize astronomy by eliminating atmospheric light pollution and serve as a crucial, low-gravity stepping stone for future missions to Mars?

Establishing a permanent moon base would revolutionize astronomy by eliminating atmospheric light pollution and serve as a crucial, low-gravity stepping stone for future missions to Mars.

Theme Song

Moon

Past, Present and Future

Ben Moore

★ 4.4 / 5(89 ratings)

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Categories:

Science

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered what the surface of the moon actually smells like, or why one researcher once suffered from a strange case of “lunar hayfever” after handleing Apollo samples?
💡Are you curious about which tiny creatures have a “lunar clock” embedded in their genetic code, and why a single passing fly exerts more gravitational pull on your body than the moon itself?
💡Did you know that the moon and Earth are made of nearly identical material, and what this reveals about the mysterious, violent collision that may have formed our nearest neighbor?

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Key Takeaways from Moon

✓The Apollo 11 moon landing was primarily driven by Cold War political rivalry and the United States' urgent desire to prove ideological superiority over the Soviet Union.
✓The Apollo missions revealed that the lunar surface is covered in a fine-grained dust called regolith, which smells remarkably like damp gunpowder.
✓Because lunar and Earth rocks share virtually identical chemical compositions, scientists hypothesize the moon was formed from a fragment that split off during a planetary merger.
✓While the moon's gravitational pull deeply influences the biological clocks of marine life, the idea that it affects human psychology or biology is entirely a myth.
✓Establishing a permanent moon base would revolutionize astronomy by eliminating atmospheric light pollution and serve as a crucial, low-gravity stepping stone for future missions to Mars.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Moon

Mind Map

Moon

History & Observation+

The Space Race+

The Lunar Environment+

Geology & Apollo Data+

Origins of the Moon+

Biological Influence on Earth+

Future Lunar Base+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

What was the significant contribution of ancient Greek thinkers like Pythagoras and Parmenides to our understanding of the cosmos?

A. They were the first to accurately map the impact craters on the moon.
B. They shifted the focus from supernatural myths to material objects acting under strict laws.
C. They proposed that the moon was formed by a giant impact with Earth.
D. They invented the first primitive telescopes to observe the lunar surface.

Question 2 of 9

How did science fiction's depiction of the moon evolve from the 17th century to the early 20th century?

A. It shifted from realistic predictions of rocket technology to fantastical stories of lunar deities.
B. It moved away from depicting the moon as desolate to imagining it as a lush, ocean-filled paradise.
C. It evolved from fantastical visions, like swan-drawn carriages, to more scientifically plausible scenarios like low-gravity environments.
D. It abandoned the idea of lunar travel altogether after realizing the vast distance involved.

Question 3 of 9

According to the text, what was the primary political motivation behind President Kennedy's push for the Apollo mission?

A. To mine valuable resources like titanium and helium-3 from the lunar surface.
B. To establish a permanent military base on the moon before Europe did.
C. To distract the American public from the ongoing conflicts in Southeast Asia.
D. To prove the superiority of capitalism over communism by beating the Soviet Union in the space race.

Question 4 of 9

Why did the sky appear completely dark to the Apollo 11 astronauts even during the lunar day?

A. The moon lacks an atmosphere, which on Earth is responsible for scattering sunlight.
B. The moon's slow rotation blocked out the sun's rays for most of their mission.
C. The dust kicked up by the lunar module created a thick, dark cloud that blocked the sun.
D. They landed during a rare lunar eclipse that temporarily obscured the sun.

Question 5 of 9

What surprising sensory detail did researchers discover about the lunar soil (regolith) when examining it back on Earth?

A. It emitted a faint, high-frequency humming sound.
B. It smelled strongly like damp gunpowder or ashes.
C. It felt identical to the wet sand found on Earth's beaches.
D. It glowed in the dark due to high levels of cosmic radiation.

Question 6 of 9

What did early astronomers mistakenly believe the lunar 'maria' (lowlands) were?

A. Large impact craters from massive meteorites.
B. Dense forests of alien vegetation.
C. Actual seas of water.
D. Vast plains of solid gold and silver.

Question 7 of 9

Why do many modern scientists contest the original 1974 'Impact Model' regarding the moon's origin?

A. The moon is too small to have been formed by such a massive collision.
B. There is no crater on Earth large enough to account for a planetary impact.
C. The moon's gravitational pull is too weak to have originated from a planetary collision.
D. The rocks on the moon and Earth are virtually identical, lacking the expected chemical mix of a foreign planet.

Question 8 of 9

How does the moon influence life on Earth, according to the book?

A. It dictates the biological rhythms of marine life, such as the foraging habits of the Fiddler Crab.
B. It significantly affects human psychological conditions, increasing crime rates during a full moon.
C. Its gravitational pull is the primary regulator of human menstrual cycles.
D. It alters the circadian clocks of all land-dwelling mammals, causing them to sleep less during full moons.

Question 9 of 9

What is one major scientific advantage of building an astronomical observatory on the moon?

A. The moon's high gravity allows for the construction of much larger telescope lenses.
B. The lack of an atmosphere prevents light from diffracting, which stops stars from twinkling and improves telescope resolution.
C. The moon's magnetic field enhances the reception of optical light from distant galaxies.
D. The continuous sunlight on the moon's dark side provides uninterrupted solar power for telescopes.

Moon — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2The ancient world was filled with supernatural myths about the moon, but the Greeks viewed it differently.
3Science fiction evolved from fantastical lunar journeys into factual predictions.
4The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union drove twentieth-century lunar exploration.
5When astronauts landed on the moon, they encountered an environment dramatically different from Earth’s.
6The data returned by the Apollo missions is essential to our modern understanding of the moon.
7The moon’s origin remains mysterious, but we have a well-informed theory.
8The moon shapes life on Earth in remarkable ways, but not human behavior.
9A base on the moon would offer major benefits for science.
10Final summary

Moon Summary & Overview

Moon (2019) is a biography of the moon. It traces our relationship with our nearest interstellar neighbor – from early lunar rituals and mythology to the stunning revelations of the ancient Greeks; from the science fiction reveries of the nineteenth century all the way to the Apollo landing in 1969.

Who Should Listen to Moon?

Budding astronauts and astronomers
Buffs of human history and its relation to the moon
Anyone who has gazed in wonder at the night sky

About the Author: Ben Moore

Ben Moore is the director of the Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Zurich. His research is focused on cosmology, gravity, astroparticle physics, and planet formation. He’s also a musician, releasing electronic music under his artist name Professor Moore and with the electro-rock band Milk67.