Children's Story "Trolls On The Moon" (Part 2) - Learning Moon Facts

If you missed it, you can check part 1:

This post is part of a wider teaching project. We engage physics (basics of sound part 1 and part 2) and astronomy (facts about celestial bodies, the moon in particular). The main goal is to get young (and why not older) learners involved in a fun and easy-to-digest learning process. 

Now, in case you don't remember my trolls set off on a new adventure with their little DIY rocket. Their destination was the moon. There X31, the wise troll explained that we can't hear on the moon because the atmosphere is too weak to support the propagation of sound waves. Let's see what new things they're going to learn today... 

- X31, why is there no air out here? 

- There is, only it’s not as thick as it is on Earth. 

- Why? X54 asked.

- You see not all space formations are able to maintain an atmosphere. The moon is a lot smaller than the Earth and this means its gravity is less strong, so it cannot hold air molecules around it. It’s also very close to the Sun and during the day the air molecules are heated up and reach to velocities that allow them to escape the weak lunar gravitational field. The solar wind also helps to sweep them away. 

- Solar wind? X42 and X54 said in one voice.

- Yes, it’s a violent blow of ionized particles that escape the surface of the Sun.

- But if the air molecules keep getting away, how can there still be some around? wondered X42.

- Because they get replaced over time. During night time, when temperatures fall, gases come out of the lunar mantle and replace the molecules that were lost throughout the day. Small meteorites also hit the moon’s surface from time to time and “feed” it with air particles as well. 

- And has it always been like that? X54 asked.

- No, the ancient moon used to have a bunch of volcanoes that spit up gases all day. These gases clouded over the Moon, but as it started to grow older, it cooled down as well and the volcanoes went on sleep mode, meaning that there was not such a high production of gases any more. 

- And what gases can we find up here today? X42 asked.

- Mainly noble gases, argon, helium, neon, some sodium and a pinch of potassium and hydrogen. 

- Hey! Look at that rock over there! X54 suddenly shouted

The trolls ran towards the huge stone.

- It must be the remnants of a big asteroid that hit the moon, X31 said.

X42 tried to move it. He quickly realized he could pick it up. 

- Oh, boy! X42 when did you become so strong? X54 said in awe.

To be continued... 

References 

wikipedia.org
csep10.phys.utk.edu
skyandtelescope.com 

*All images by @ruth-girl - Original background image of the sun from: pxhere.com - Original background image of the moon surface from: pixabay.com (CC0 - no credits required)

        

Thank you for stopping by and giving this post a read. I hope you enjoyed it! If you please, feel free to pay a visit to my blog and check out my short stories along with plenty of educational posts and of course my bizarre natural phenomena series.  

Until my next post,
Steem on and keep smiling, people!