Craters Final Astronomy Lab Lunar Crater Categorization In

Craters Final Astronomy Lab

Lunar Crater Categorization • In 1978, Chuck Wood and Leif Andersson of the Lunar & Planetary Lab devised a system of categorization of lunar impact craters. They used a sampling of craters that were relatively unmodified by subsequent impacts, then grouped the results into five broad categories. These successfully accounted for about 99% of all lunar impact craters. http: //www. unm. edu/~abqtom/images/Moon 11 -19 -02 b. jpg

The LPC Crater Types: • ALC — small, cup-shaped craters with a diameter of about 10 km or less, and no central floor. The archetype for this category is 'Albategnius C'. http: //www. edwardroach. com/uploads/Albategnius_9 -3 -07_504 edt_300 frames. jpg

The LPC Crater Types: • BIO — similar to an ALC, but with small, flat floors. Typical diameter is about 15 km. The lunar crater archetype is Biot. http: //www. astrospider. com/images/moon/Biot_LAC 98 map. jpg

The LPC Crater Types: • SOS — the interior floor is wide and flat, with no central peak. The inner walls are not terraced. The diameter is normally in the range of 15 -25 km. The archetype is Sosigenes crater. http: //history. nasa. gov/ap 15 fj/photos/o/as 15 -97 -13288. jpg

The LPC Crater Types: • TRI — these complex craters are large enough so that their inner walls have slumped to the floor. They can range in size from 15 -50 km in diameter. The archetype crater is Triesnecker. http: //www. damianpeach. com/lunartemp/triesnecker 02. jpg

The LPC Crater Types: • TYC — these are larger than 50 km, with terraced inner walls and relatively flat floors. They frequently have large central peak formations. Tycho crater is the archetype for this class. http: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/7/7 e/Mooncrater. jpg

The LPC Crater Types: • Beyond a couple of hundred kilometers diameter, the central peak of the TYC class disappear and they are classed as basins. http: //www. uwsp. edu/geo/projects/geoweb/participants/dutch/Sudbury/schrodinger. gif

Question • How do the variables of velocity, size, and meteor angle to surface affect the outcome of resultant craters? http: //apod. nasa. gov/apod/image/0507/impact 13 sec_deepimpact_hri. jpg

Hypothesis • Develop a hypothesis about the outcome of your experiment based on your observations, reading, and experience http: //www. photoaxe. com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/droplet. jpg

Your Lab • You collected data on: – Speed of the impact (depending on height you dropped your clay ball) – Angle of impact (depending on how far back you were) – Size of meteor (depending on whether your clay was 1, 2 or 3 pieces) http: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/en/c/c 8/AS 11 -42 -6285. jpg

Finish Collecting Data • Collect your data • Return all your equipment • If you have finished your collection, you may spend time with the resources http: //crism. jhuapl. edu/education/downloads/GUIDE_Lesson 2. pdf

Analyze Your Data • You collected 3 trials of a single variable, then collected 3 trials of the next variable, and so on. • Find the mean of each of your variables. – Add three trials and then divide by 3 1. 2 1. 3 1. 1 3. 6 1. 2 0. 8 1. 0 0. 9 2. 8 0. 9 3. 0 2. 4 3. 1 8. 5 2. 83 1. 9 2. 3 1. 7 5. 9 1. 96 1. 8 1. 7 2. 1 5. 7 1. 9 4. 2 4. 1 4. 8 13. 1 4. 36 3. 2 3. 8 3. 9 10. 9 3. 63 2. 8 7. 9 2. 33 5. 2 8. 2 18. 6 6. 2 4. 5 4. 3 4. 1 12. 8 4. 26 3. 4 3. 1 9. 6 3. 2 6. 0 5. 8 6. 2 18. 0 6. 0

Analyze Your Data • First, let’s look at how our data varies around the mean

Analyze Your Data • Next, let’s start picturing our data using averages – Does this make sense?

Analyze Your Data • How about this graph?

Analyze Your Data • Or this one.

Conclusions • What is your answer about the size, depth and ray length as the velocity increases? • If you have any unusual data, give an education guess what happened (most likely, human error)

For This Lab… • Produce an 8½ x 11” or larger “poster” of this experiment • Introduction: Background on craters (tell me how they are formed) • List your citations • Methods: Describe your experimental design (include your hypothesis) • Results: Include both a table and graph of your data • Discussion: Tell me what you learned

Be Creative

Have Fun

What Did You Learn

Include 4 Sections