Last night I looked up at the moon, which was full, and it looked like there was clouds on the moon. What I mean is, it was a bright moon, but with grey spots on it. Does anyone know why?
2006-09-07 13:21:08 · 14 answers · asked by jojo04_2004 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
They are craters. The best known one is the Mare Imbrium. The word Mare (based on the Latin for "sea", from which we get "marine life" "submarine" etc) is used in many of the names of the craters. Obviousy in ancient times people thought they were looking at oceans.
For there to be clouds there would have tu be an atmosphere (and water or methane or ammonia). There is nio atmosphere as the Moon's gravity is too low to retain one. It drifted off into space long ago.
There is some ice, but no liquid water as the Moon is too cold and it freezes. Clouds are formed by liquid water evaporating. Ice doesn't evaporate.
Bigger moons in the Solar System eg Titan and Europa do have atmospheres,
2006-09-07 15:18:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
You may have been looking at one of the many 'marias' on the moon. These are giant, almost featureless, plains that the ancient anstronomers thought were seas (hence maria).
Perhaps you saw many of the moons craters that litter its near side.
Of course, it could have been local Earth clouds highlighted by a coronal ring.
2006-09-07 20:48:20 · answer #2 · answered by wiegraff13 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What you are seeing are the craters, mountain ranges and plains on the moon. Get a cheap telescope or high power binoculars and look it over. No air there so no clouds. Pops
2006-09-07 20:26:59 · answer #3 · answered by Pops 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The cloud looking things are craters. If you get a good pair of binoculars or a telescope you would be able to see them with better detail. Look at pictures online.
2006-09-07 21:05:40 · answer #4 · answered by Krissy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Those are the craters. The actual darkness is caused by shadows because the light areas are actually where the sun is shining on the moon.
2006-09-07 20:27:35 · answer #5 · answered by Penelope's Mom 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It does not look like there are clouds on the moon.
2006-09-07 20:31:29 · answer #6 · answered by Scott S 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Shadows.
Or maybe the guy asking the other day about an atomic blast on the moon being visible to us on Earth actually lit a nuke off.
2006-09-07 20:26:34 · answer #7 · answered by powhound 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
for one thing, are you serious? they are spots for what we call them but they are really deep wholes created by craters that ram into it up in space and if you take a telescope up to it you would see lines and over thigns and they are called valleys and plains.....theyre is no atmophere so theyre cant be clouds
2006-09-07 20:29:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Theyre craters.
2006-09-07 20:26:02 · answer #9 · answered by MarieBeth 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
those are high and low spots on the surface, you know craters
2006-09-07 20:26:21 · answer #10 · answered by Jimmy C 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋