Does Moon have North and South Poles ?

  • Thread starter call_naveen
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In summary: So the North pole for Uranus is defined as the point in its orbit where its rotational axis is pointing in the same direction as the Earth's north pole.
  • #1
call_naveen
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Thanks
Naveen
 
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  • #2
Yes geographically.
The bit at the top is always at the top when viewed from Earth and the bit at the bottom is alwyas at the bottom.
It doesn't have a magnetic field (ok a very tiny one) so doesn't have magnetic poles like the Earth.
 
  • #3
call_naveen said:
Thanks
Naveen

Yes. Poles of other bodies are defined by their axis of rotation.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) definition of the North pole for astronomical bodies is the end of the axis of rotation that points in the same direction as the Earth's north pole relative to the plane of the Earth's orbit.

However, others argue that the North pole would be better defined as the one where the rotation appears anticlockwise when looking down on the object, and that definition could also be used for objects in isolation without reference to the solar system, including objects outside the solar system.

The majority of planets and other bodies in the solar system rotate in the same direction, so there are not many bodies for which the two definitions differ.
 
  • #4
Uranus for instance is tilted by 90deg so it's rotation axis points in the plane of the orbit.
So the 'top' of the planet is a point on the equator and is constantly changing - like the 'side' of the earth. Not sure what you would call the poles of Uranus.
 
  • #5
mgb_phys said:
Yes geographically.
The bit at the top is always at the top when viewed from Earth and the bit at the bottom is alwyas at the bottom.

Well, not exactly. The Moon has a 6.5° axial tilt with respect to its orbit. So it nods back and forth as seen from Earth so that sometimes the North pole is tilted slightly towards us and sometimes the South pole. This is known as the libration of latitude.
 
  • #6
Jonathan Scott said:
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) definition of the North pole for astronomical bodies is the end of the axis of rotation that points in the same direction as the Earth's north pole relative to the plane of the Earth's orbit.

Close. The definition is "The north pole is that pole of rotation that lies on the north side of the invariable plane of the solar system."

Seidelmann, P.K. et al (2005), "Report Of The IAU/IAG Working Group On Cartographic Coordinates And Rotational Elements: 2003," Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, 91, pp. 203-215.
Preprint is at http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/Projects/WGCCRE/WGCCRE2003preprint.pdf.
 

1. What is the Moon's North and South Pole?

The Moon's North and South Poles are the two points on the Moon's surface that are farthest from the equator. They are the points where the Moon's axis of rotation intersects with its surface.

2. Does the Moon have a magnetic field at its poles?

No, the Moon does not have a global magnetic field like Earth. However, some areas near the Moon's poles have weak magnetic fields caused by the interaction between the Moon's surface and the solar wind.

3. What are the temperatures at the Moon's North and South Poles?

The temperatures at the Moon's poles can vary greatly depending on the time of day. During the lunar day, temperatures can reach up to 260 degrees Fahrenheit (127 degrees Celsius) at the equator, while at the poles they can be as low as -280 degrees Fahrenheit (-173 degrees Celsius) during the lunar night.

4. Are there any special features at the Moon's North and South Poles?

Yes, there are some unique features at the Moon's poles. These include permanently shadowed craters that may contain water ice, and regions with high concentrations of hydrogen, possibly indicating the presence of water molecules.

5. Have humans ever explored the Moon's North and South Poles?

Yes, humans have explored the Moon's North and South Poles through robotic missions. The Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions all landed near the Moon's equator but explored regions near the poles, and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken high-resolution images of the polar regions. Future missions are planned to explore these regions in more detail.

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