Lunas

Glosario

Disco de acreación (Accretionary disc) anorthite

Un disco de gas y polvo que rodea a un planeta An example of a plagioclase feldspar.

joven y dentro del cual pueden crecer lunas.

apoapsis
Aglutinados (agglutinates)
The point at which an orbiting body is furthest
Pequeñas partículas de brechas ricas en polvo from the object it orbits.
formadas cuando los micrometeoritos chocan
con el regolito lunar.
apogee

albedo The point at which the Moon or any other Earth-

satellite is furthest from Earth.
The percentage of incident light reflected by an
object.
asteroid

amorphous A rocky or metallic body smaller than a planet.

Most are found in the Asteroid Belt between
Having an irregular non-repeating structure at Mars and Jupiter.
the atomic level.

Asteroid Belt
amphibole
The circular belt of asteroids that orbit the Sun
A class of rock-forming hydrous aluminosilicate between Mars and Jupiter.
mineral with characteristic double-chain
structure.
astronomical unit (AU)

anisotropic The mean distance between the Sun and the

Earth: about 1.50 × 108 km.
A material that has properties that are different
in one direction from another, is said to be
anisotropic.
basaltic lava chaos
Lava that is rich in pyroxene, olivine and Descriptor term to denote a distinctive area of
plagioclase feldspars. broken-looking terrain. On Europa, applied to
regions where the icy shell appears to have
become broken into separate slabs (rafts).
bedrock

The exposed crust when any soil or regolith has

chemosynthesis
been removed.
The formation of organic matter using
chemical energy (as opposed to sunlight –
binary system photosynthesis).
Two objects orbiting a common centre of mass.
cirrus clouds
biotite Thin strands of clouds, named after the Latin
word 'cirrus' for a ringlet or curling strand of hair.
A rock-forming hydrous aluminosilicate mineral
with characteristic sheet structure and strong
cleavage.
clastic rock

A rock formed from fragments of pre-existing

birefringence rocks.
The splitting of light into two rays by anisotropic
materials, which causes characteristic colour
coalescing
schemes when observed in thin section between
crossed polarisers. Coming together of fragmented material, for
example under its own gravity.

Brechas (breccias)
comet
Coarse-grained clastic rock.
An icy /carbonaceous body from the outer Solar
System, typically kilometres or tens of kilometres
caldera in size, which occasionally visits the inner
regions at great speed.
A circular depression (more than 1 km across)
resulting from a volcanic eruption. Excavation
may be mainly by explosive ejection or by
concentric
collapse into the space left inside after magma
has been erupted. Circular objects having a common centre but
different radii.

carbonaceous
convection
Rich in carbon.
The tendency of heated fluid to expand,
become less dense and rise buoyantly through
surrounding cooler fluid.
corona
(1) Term used to describe a class of terrain seen
on Uranus' moon Miranda (plural: coronae). (2)
Part of the solar atmosphere, less dense and
warmer than lower levels of the atmosphere;
visible without instrumentation only during total
eclipse.
dyke
Long narrow tube of lava that cuts through
earlier structures, often vertically.
ecliptic plane
The plane in which the Earth orbits the Sun.

cryomagma
Magma generated from icy material, as opposed
to silicate magma produced by the melting of
rock.
ethane
C2H6: under terrestrial conditions, a colourless,
odourless gas closely related to methane.
Possibly mixed with methane in Titan's seas.

cryovolcanism
exomoon
Volcano that erupts liquid or vapour (e.g. water
or methane) instead of molten rock. A moon in orbit around an exoplanet.

crystalline exoplanet

Having a regular repeating structure at the A planet in orbit around a star other than the
atomic level. Sun.

devitrification extensional faulting

Process by which a glass becomes crystalline. Faulting resulting from extension of the ground
surface, in contrast to compressional faulting
such as thrusts.
differentiation

Sorting of material by gravity according to F-ring

density.
One of Saturn's rings. They were named in order
of their detection, so the spatial order is D-, C-,
dual-body system B-, A-, F-, G- and E- ring, going outwards.

See binary system.

fissure

dune field A break in the crust of a planet through which

volcanic material may emerge.
An area covered by dunes.

dunite

Coarse-grained igneous rock consisting largely

of olivine.
fractional crystallisation
A process occurring in a cooling liquid where
the crystallisation of one phase changes the
composition of the remaining liquid, which in
turn changes the composition of later-forming
crystals.
friable
A rock easily crumbled or reduced to dust in the
hand.
geophone
Device for detecting tiny vibrations of the
ground.
gibbous
The shape of the Moon between half and full
Moon.
graben
A down-dropped trough of terrain bounded by
faults.
gravitational slingshot manoeuvre
When a spacecraft uses the gravity of a planet
to alter its path and speed. The velocity of the
spacecraft (relative to the Sun) can be altered
by up to twice the planet's velocity. Saves fuel.
Allowed Voyager to leave the Solar System.
gravity-assist manoeuvre
Using the gravity of a planet or moon to change
the trajectory of a spacecraft.
halides
Compounds with metal-halogen composition
such as sodium chloride (common salt).
hydrocarbon
A compound consisting exclusively of hydrogen
and carbon.
Can also be used to describe an object's spin
that is in the same direction as its orbital motion.
hydroxyl
The molecular grouping (OH) that is
characteristic of alcohols.
hypervelocity
Speeds in the range of several to several tens of
km s-1.
infrared radiation
Electromagnetic radiation of longer wavelength
than visible but not as long as microwaves.
interstellar space
Space beyond the Sun's influence.
ionise
To remove at least one electron from an atom.
isotope
Two atoms having the same atomic number but
different mass numbers are said to be isotopes.
isotopic dating
Measuring the age of a sample by the ratio of
the amount of a decay product to the surviving
amount of its parent isotope.
libration
The apparent oscillations of a moon as seen from
its parent body, if the moon rotates once per
orbit but its orbit is not exactly circular. Such
motion will result in some tidal heating. Libration
of the Moon allows us to see eventually about
59% of the lunar surface from the Earth.
linear vent
A linear fissure that is the source of an eruption,
as opposed to a circular (pipe-like) vent.
Límite de Roche
Distancia mínima que puede soportar un objeto que
orbita sobre otro mayor, antes de desintegrarse.
Esto se debe a que la fuerza de gravedad del cuerpo
central excede la de su satélite.
lithologies
Rock types classified by their origin, formation
and mineral composition.
low-gain antenna
A simple antenna on a spacecraft that does
not need to be steered, but which is much less
sensitive than a parabolic antenna.
magma
Molten rock, usually containing dissolved gas, in
the interior of a planet or moon.
mantle
On planets and larger moons, the region
between core and crust.
mare
Latin for 'sea', applied to relatively smooth and
dark areas on the Moon, now known to have
been flooded by lava. The term is also used for
the large lakes of methane on Titan.
Pronounced 'MAH-ray', the plural is maria,
pronounced 'MAH-ri-a'.
meteoroid
A small rocky or metallic body flying through
space. Usually they are fragments from comets
but some may be debris from collisions. If a
meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, it becomes
a meteor or 'shooting star'.
methane
CH4: under terrestrial conditions, a colourless,
odourless gas but sometimes liquid on the
surface of Titan. Can form an ice in the
outermost regions of the Solar System.
micrometeorites
Tiny meteorites, sometimes defined as less than
2 mm in diameter.
micrometeoroid
Term used to describe a micrometeorite when
still in space, i.e. before impact onto a moon or
planet.
morphologies
Shapes of objects. When writing of terrain
features such as craters this means their three-
dimensional shapes, taking into account their
outline and their topography.
nanometre
One-thousand-millionth of a metre: 10-9 m.
near-infrared wavelength
Describes electromagnetic radiation that is of
wavelength just longer than visible.
nitrogen-ice
The solid state of nitrogen found on some of the
extremely cold moons in the outer Solar System.
nuclear fission
Splitting of heavy nuclei into fragments with
release of energy.
nucleus
The core of an atom consisting of protons and
neutrons.
olivine
Mineral containing silicon, iron and magnesium.
orbital resonance
When two moons have their orbital periods in a
whole-number ratio, such as 2 : 1 or 3 : 2.
overpressure
Pressure inside is higher than outside. In a
geological context usually refers to fluid or
gas inside fractures or voids of a rock. The
mechanical strength of the rock contains the
volatiles, but if the pressure becomes higher
than the rock can sustain, venting or explosions
are the result.
parabolic antenna
Parabolic (dish-like) antenna on a space
probe used to transmit and receive signals.
To communicate to Earth it must be pointed
towards the Earth, so it has to be steerable.
penetrator
A small probe designed to be dropped from
a spacecraft so that it impacts into a moon's
surface, from where it can gather data.
periapsis
The point at which an orbiting body is closest to
the object it orbits.
perigee
The point at which the Moon or any other Earth-
satellite is closest to Earth.
photosynthesis
Production by plants of organic compounds
using carbon dioxide and fuelled by solar energy.
plagioclase feldspars
A series of silicate minerals found in many
igneous rocks.
planetesimal
A small asteroidal body formed early in Solar
System history. The combination of such bodies
is thought to be the origin of rocky planets such
as the Earth.
plate tectonics
The creation and subsequent movement of
distinct plates in the crust of a planet.
polymict breccias
Breccias containing many different kinds of rock
or mineral fragment.
primary body
The body whose gravity keeps a satellite in its
orbit.
Prograda (Órbita)
Describe la órbita de un objeto alrededor del sol, o una luna
alrededor de un planeta, según el cual el movimiento
de la órbita sigue la misma dirección que la rotación
del Sol o del planeta.
protoplanetary disc
A disc of gas and dust around a star from which
planets may form.
pyroclastic
Adjective referring to fragments (as opposed to
lava flows) produced by an eruption.
pyroxene
Mineral containing silicon, iron, calcium and
magnesium.
radar imaging
Production of an image from radar data.
radioactivity
The disintegration of unstable nuclei.
Regolito (regolith)
La mezcla de material fragmentario generado
tras un impacto que se desarrolla en la
superficie de cualquier planeta sin aire o luna.
Retrógrada (Órbita)
Término que describe la órbita de un objeto
alrededor del Sol, o una luna alrededor de un
planeta, sen el cual el movimiento de la órbita
sigue una dirección opuesta a la rotación del Sol o
el Planeta. También puede usarse para describir el
movimiento giratorio de un objeto cuando éste
sigue la dirección opuesta a su órbita.
shepherd moon
A moon whose orbit is close to one of a planet's
rings and whose repeated gravitational influence
helps to maintain the shape of the ring.
shield volcano
A type of volcano that has been built almost
entirely by low-viscosity (runny) lava flows
erupted from near its summit. The name comes
from its resemblance (when viewed from above
or in cross-sectional profile) to a warrior's shield.
silicate rock
Any rock containing silicate minerals, which are
based around silicon oxide.
spectrometer
Instrument for measuring the wavelengths of
spectral lines.
spectroscopy
The study of the composition of something from
analysis of the light emitted or reflected.
spectrum
Electromagnetic signature of an element or
compound.
stratigraphy
The study of sequences of rock strata and their
relationships in time and space.
surface gravity
The acceleration experienced by an object when
dropped near the surface of a planet or moon.
synchronicity
Equalisation of the rotation period of a body (its
'day') with its orbital period (its 'year').
terminator X-ray flourescence spectrometer
The boundary between the sunlit and An instrument measuring fluorescence caused
unilluminated hemispheres of a planet or moon. when elements are bombarded by high-energy
X-rays, used to determine elemental composition
of rocks.
tidal heating

The tendency of an object to heat up, because

of internal friction, when pulled out of shape by
tidal forces.

topography

The lie of the land.

transient crater size

The size of a crater formed by an impact

measured before it has been widened by
outwards slumping of its walls.

ultraviolet radiation

Electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength

than visible but not as short as X-rays.

undifferentiated

Said of a body in which gravity has not sorted

material according to density.

viscosity

Tendency of fluids to resist flow as a result of

internal friction.

vulcanoid asteroids

Hypothetical asteroids orbiting the Sun inside

Mercury's orbit.

water-ice

The state of water when it is below 0 °C. Distributed by The Open University for the
FutureLearn 'Moons' course.

futurelearn.com/courses/moons