Talk:Moon

Mass Clarification

The mass of the moon is described on the side bar as "(0.012 3 Earths[1]". Why is there a space between the "2" and "3" digits?

--90.199.197.182 (talk) 10:23, 30 March 2010 (UTC)ManInStone

Article needs grammatical corrections

In the section "Ocean Tides" I have changed three things:

1) I added, parenthetically, that the sun also contributes to the ocean tides, with about half the gravitational effect of the moon.

2) I corrected two or three occurrences of "nearest" and/or "farthest" where, in comparing two objects, it should be "nearer" and "farther".

") In one paragraph only, I corrected a repeated capitalization error. In the phrase "I live on Earth", the upper-case "E" is correct. In the phrase "I live on the earth", the "e" should not be capitalized. Likewise, "the moon" requires a lower-case "m". This capitalization discrepancy should be corrected throughout the entire article, but I didn't take the time to do it, because someone may simply reverses my efforts. In any case, the way it stands now, the capitalization is incorrect. Worldrimroamer (talk) 16:10, 14 January 2010 (UTC)

I was mistaken about something: The use of "nearest" and "farthest" was, in this context, NOT incorrect. I went in to change it back to the way it had been, but someone had already done it for me. Good. However, someone also changed the occurrences of "the earth" back to "the Earth". This is simply incorrect. Someone please comment on this. Worldrimroamer (talk) 16:26, 14 January 2010 (UTC)

I was that someone. Sorry not to reply here earlier - I think you wrote this between my seeing your changes and partly reverting them. My change to the capitalisation was based, as I said in my edit summary, on Wikipedia:MOSCAP#Celestial_bodies which says "These terms are only proper nouns when referring to a specific spectral body", and gives "The Moon orbits the Earth" as an example of correct useage. Olaf Davis (talk) 17:12, 14 January 2010 (UTC)

Incidentally, I have no idea what a 'spectral body' is except perhaps a ghost - I've changed it to 'celestial' in the guideline. Olaf Davis (talk) 17:19, 14 January 2010 (UTC)

the moon

The Moon was called Luna by the Roman's,Selene and Artemis bt the Greek's.The Moon's orbit is 384,400km from Earth.It's diameter is 3476km and it's mass is 7.35e22kg.It is the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun.As the Moon orbit's around the Earth once per month,the angle between the Moon and the sun change's. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.158.161.214 (talk) 15:23, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Orbit of Moon with respect to Sun

The path of the Moon with respect to the Sun in the diagram "Phases of the Moon" in the section "Orbit and relationship to Earth" is incorrect in showing the Moon curve away from the Sun. In the entry Orbit of the Moon, section "Path of Earth and Moon around Sun", the correct relationship is stated "The Moon's orbital path around the Sun . . . is always convex outwards", which means that the Moon's path/orbit is always "concave to the Sun". In other words, the path of the Moon about the Sun resembles an approximately 13-sided polygon with rounded sides and corners. It's motion is never away from the Sun. This diagram "Phases of the Moon" should be corrected by removing the reversal in curvature shown at left and right ends. I am not qualified to make such a correction and rely on the expertise of other editors. Phaedrus7 (talk) 22:20, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

I believe that if you search back through the talk page archives here, you will find this has been discussed before. More than once. ;) As I recall, the motion shown in the diagram is correct within its own context, a "flattened out" piece of the moon's orbital path. It would be necessary to show the whole Earth-Moon-Sun system to show the continuously-concave orbital path, and that is not what this diagram is intended to show. The Moon is indeed anomalous among solar-system satellites in it's convex orbital motion, and I don't see that fact elucidated in the section. If you read the archives, you might figure out why that is. ;) I'd agree the fact should be discussed, but the diagram needs to stay as is to preserve it's own consistency. Franamax (talk) 23:39, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

Franamax is factually incorrect stating "It would be necessary to show the whole Earth-Moon-Sun system to show the continuously-concave orbital path" of the Moon, as would be apparent by examining the figure on p. 178 of Christopher P. Jargocki's 1976 book Science Brain-Twisters, Paradoxes, and Fallacies. This figure correctly portrays the intertwined paths of Earth and Moon over the same time span as the "Phases of the Moon" diagram. Thus, while this concave behavior is not discussed in the section, it is not necessary for this diagram to portray an incorrect geometric relationship between the orbits of Earth and Moon. Phaedrus7 (talk) 22:01, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

In view of the fact that illustrations often distort reality (as is the case here), perhaps the distortion of the Moon's true path about the Sun might be pointed out in a note in the "Phases of the Moon" diagram. Phaedrus7 (talk) 23:50, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

Only Natural Satellite?

The opening line to this article states that the moon is the "only natural satellite" to the earth. This is only half true. While scientists are very clear that the 4 other items orbiting the earth are not moons, I think they do fit the definition for natural satellite. Opinions? SeanBrockest (talk) 21:14, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

See: quasi-satellite, 3753 Cruithne, talk archive 3, talk archive 6, talk archive 6 II. -- Kheider (talk) 21:36, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

I agree that the "only natural satellite" text needs to be adjusted. 2006 RH120 though small, does regularly enter Earth orbit and while rising to the level of a moon, it is a natural satellite for a year every 21 years.--RadioFan (talk) 10:00, 25 February 2010 (UTC)

Being that 2006 RH120 is not bound to the Earth and is often 2AU from the Earth, I see it as a mere quasi-satellite. -- Kheider (talk) 10:31, 25 February 2010 (UTC)

Details of it's orbit can be included, but the issue here is the claim that the moon is the "only natural satellite" is overly broad with 3753 Cruithne and 2006 RH120 in mind.--RadioFan (talk) 10:39, 25 February 2010 (UTC)

I do not think "temporary satellite capture" (TSC)s should be included since the moon is the only natural satellite BOUND to the Earth's Hill sphere. But I am certainly open to the opinion of others. -- Kheider (talk) 11:21, 25 February 2010 (UTC)

This has been debated repeatedly and at length on Wikipedia, but the outcome has been consistent based on the established scientific consensus. Should the IAU and other bodies decide that the others qualify as natural satellites, we can certainly change the text, but it is not up to us to make the call on their behalf. --Ckatz^chat_spy 21:20, 25 February 2010 (UTC)

Lunar albedo from peer review

I see that you have adjusted the lunar albedo down further, peer review work from the most respected optical journal on the planet puts the lunar albedo at 7 degrees phase at 13.62% as measured by the most accurate radiometer ever flown in space, see:

2008 G. Matthews, “Celestial body irradiance determination from an under-filled satellite radiometer: Application to albedo and thermal emission measurements of the Moon using CERES” Applied Optics. Vol 47, No 27, pp 4981-4993

The wikipedia value is now over 30% incorrect, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Dr Grant Matthews

Snerby (talk) 02:30, 26 February 2010 (UTC)

Corrected. Self-promotion is discouraged, but the previous ref was from 1972 and might be simply a patch to support the previous value. Materialscientist (talk) 02:59, 26 February 2010 (UTC)

Name and etymology

... related to the Latin mensis and Ancient Greek μήνας (mēnas) both meaning month, and Μήνη (Mēnē), (alternate name for Selēnē in Ancient Greek) {{editsemiprotected}} — Preceding unsigned comment added by Arty2 (talk • contribs) 12:29, 3 March 2010 (UTC)

Please provide appropriate reference(s) to reliable sources, and reinstate the request.

Also, please sign your name with ~~~~ when you leave messages. Thanks,  Chzz  ►  19:47, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

 Not done

My apologies, you're correct in that I should provide proper reference. Unfortunately guides for suggesting edits to protected pages are not that userfriendly... {{editsemiprotected}}

Information on Selene-Mene found in [Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: Oarses-Zygia By William George Smith]

Etymological relation of menas (moon) and mania in [Thesaurus graecae linguae, Volume 5 By Henri Estienne] --Arty2 (talk) 22:03, 6 March 2010 (UTC)

Sorry that the instructions aren't great; for help, I recommend talking to a real person with this link.

Done; I assume it should go after the part on 'Menses'? Hope it's OK; let me know if not. Thanks for the further details.  Chzz  ►  22:42, 6 March 2010 (UTC)

 Done

Two sides of the Moon image formatting

Could someone please fix the table formatting for the set of images here? I can't quite get it to line up properly. Iridia (talk) 01:12, 16 March 2010 (UTC) Fixed it. Iridia (talk) 06:24, 17 March 2010 (UTC)

"dark side" is actually less dark

Tiny nitpick alert! The far side of the moon does not get "exactly" the same amount of illumination as the near side. The near side is sometimes in the Earth's shadow (lunar eclipse) but the far side never is. So the far side gets (on average) slightly more illumination.

Even tinier nitpick alert!!

And the moon is closer to the Sun when the far side is illuminated, so again it gets (very slightly) more illumination. Oh, heck, I forgot to factor in the effect of reflected Earthlight, which of course only illuminates the near side. Anyway, I propose that "exactly" be changed to "almost exactly". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.78.209.93 (talk) 02:38, 17 March 2010 (UTC)

Internal Structure

I was going to fix up the cross-section image of the Moon Image:Moon Schematic Cross Section.svg, but more I look at it the more problems I have with it.

• It has no citations
• The measurements are ambiguous, as it is not clear what distance is being measured.
• There are no measurements for three layers: the crust, the inner mantle, and the outer mantle.

Michael JasonSmith (talk) 11:24, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

I am removing the image and putting it here (hidden) until it is fixed. Iridia (talk) 23:25, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

Request for comment: lead

I have written a draft version of a new lead at Talk:Moon/Lead to more comprehensively reflect the contents of the article, per WP:LEAD, as part of the FAR improvements. Please could you comment and suggest improvements. Iridia (talk) 05:51, 26 March 2010 (UTC)