The Moon’s heavily cratered highlands are made of rocks more than 4 billion years old. Generally, the surface is dominated by impacts, including continuing small impacts that produce its fine-grained soil

Most of what we know about the Moon derives from the Apollo program, including 400 kilograms of lunar samples still being intensively studied. The Moon has one-eightieth the mass of Earth and is severely depleted in both metals and volatile materials.

highlands — the lighter, heavily cratered regions of the Moon, which are generally several kilometers higher than the maria. surface — dominated by impacts, including continuing small impacts that produce its fine-grained soil. Moon’s heavily cratered highlands — made of rocks more than 4 billion years old. mare — (plural: maria) Latin for “sea;” the name applied to the dark, relatively smooth features that cover 17% of the Moon’s surface.

Be able to discuss what has been learned from both manned and robotic lunar exploration; describe the composition and structure of the Moon; describe the history of the lunar surface.