Until the advent of spaceflight, we could only study the Moon with telescopes — and starting in the 1940s, radar. The 1960s Space Race between the U.S. and Soviet Union resulted in dozens of robotic spacecraft being launched to fly by, orbit, and land on the Moon.
How did we study the Moon?
How has the Moon been studied?
NASA also landed a spacecraft on the moon's surface that year with the first of its Surveyor space probes, which carried cameras to explore the moon's surface and soil samplers to analyze lunar rock and dirt. … (See a map of all lunar landings.)
How did we discover the Moon?
The Moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth. … Earth's only natural satellite is simply called "the Moon" because people didn't know other moons existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610.
Who was the first to study the Moon?
1609: Hans Lippershey invented the telescope. 1610: Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei made the first telescopic observation of the moon. 1610: Thomas Harriot and Galileo Galilei drew the first telescopic representation of the moon.
How do scientists know about the Moon?
Seismic, rotational, and gravity measurement studies have allowed us to gain insights into the different layers within the Moon. The Apollo 11 Passive Seismic Experiment contained four seismometers powered by two panels of solar cells, which converted solar energy into electricity.
When did we start studying the Moon?
How We Study the Moon. Until the advent of spaceflight, we could only study the Moon with telescopes — and starting in the 1940s, radar.
How long have people been studying the Moon?
But there's another class of lunar heroes — scientists who made fundamental discoveries in the 360 years between Galileo's first observations of the Moon in 1609 and the Apollo 11 landing in 1969.
Would the Earth survive without the Moon?
Without the moon, a day on earth would only last six to twelve hours. There could be more than a thousand days in one year! That's because the Earth's rotation slows down over time thanks to the gravitational force — or pull of the moon — and without it, days would go by in a blink.
Will the Moon ever crash into Earth?
Short answer: Technically it's possible that the Earth and Moon could collide in the very distant future, but it's very unlikely. It's certainly not going to happen while any of us are alive. … The Moon is actually moving away from Earth at the rate of a few centimetres per year.