What is the Moon Made of

Even though it is the only celestial body on which man has set his foot, as of now, the Moon remain quite mysterious when it comes to its composition. Interestingly, it is the only natural satellite of our planet. The distance from the Earth to the Moon is 238,857 miles, when measured from the center of each of these two entities. The orbital period of the Moon is 27 days 7 hours and 43.1 minutes. We do know quite a few facts about this lunar body, but when it comes to its composition, we can't help, but rely on assumptions.

How is the Composition of the Moon Determined?

Several theories about the origin of the Moon have been making the rounds of astronomy circles. Among all these theories, the Big Impact theory, is the most convincing, if scientists are to be believed. According to the Big Impact theory, a solar body of the size of Mars collided with the Earth, due to which the planet lost a chunk of its mass, which eventually went on to become its lone natural satellite. Other than such theories, various unmanned and manned missions to the Moon, satellites in the orbit, geochemical mapping and geophysical techniques have played a crucial role in helping us study the geology of the Moon's surface. With time, several new facts about this lunar body are surfacing, and each time, we learn something new about it.

What is the Moon Made of?

The mass of the Moon is 7.347 7 × 10²² kg, while its surface area is 3.793 × 10⁷ km². Like the Earth, even the Moon is divided into three layers - the crust, the mantle and the core. Its crust is predominantly made up of anorthositic rocks. It contains oxygen, silicon, iron, magnesium, calcium and aluminum. Its thickness is estimated to be approximately, 50 km from the surface. Other than these elements, the crust also features traces of hydrogen, potassium, titanium, uranium and thorium. As we go deeper, we come across the mantle of the Moon. This layer is made up of minerals such as, olivine and orthopyroxene. Studies reveal that the Moon's mantle is much richer in iron content than that of the Earth. The center of the Moon, i.e. the core, is about 300 to 350 km in radius and constitutes approximately, 20 percent of the total lunar body. Scientists believe that its core is made up of metallic iron with traces of nickel and/or sulfur. Studies pertaining to the time-variable rotation of the Moon suggests that its core is in a semi-molten state.

More recently, in November, 2009, to be precise, NASA declared that they have found some concrete proofs about the presence of water on the surface of the Moon. This discovery based on the data compiled by NASA's LCROSS lunar impact mission has been one of the greatest achievement for the mankind, as far as the composition of the Moon is concerned. As of now, we can only hope that more of such expeditions end up on a successful note, so that we get to know more about our celestial neighbor.