How Was the Moon Made

The  Moon has been a presence in our lives as long as weve existed on this Earth. It has been around our planet much longer, practically since Earth was formed. However, one simple question about this spectacular object went unanswered until fairly recently: how was the Moon made? The answer requires a deep understanding of conditions in the early solar system and how they worked during the formation of the planets. The answer to this question hasnt been without controversy. Until the last fifty years or so every proposed idea about how the Moon came into being  has had problems, either with technical aspects, or plagued by scientists own lack of information about the materials that make up the Moon. Co-creation Theory One idea says the Earth and Moon formed side-by-side out of the same cloud of dust and gas. That makes sense, given that the entire solar system arose from actions within that cloud, called a protoplanetary disk. Over time, their close proximity might have caused the Moon to fall into orbit around Earth. The main problem with this theory is in the composition of the Moons rocks. While Earth rocks contain significant amounts of metals and heavier elements, particularly below its surface, the Moon is decidedly metal-poor. Its rocks just dont match Earth rocks, and thats a problem for a theory that suggests they both formed from the same piles of material in the early solar system. The Sun and planets formed in a cloud of gas and dust called a protoplanetary disk some 4.5 billion years ago. The Moon formed about the same time as Earth, but could have been made during a collision event, rather than co-formed with Earth. NASA   If they did form at the same time, their compositions should be very similar or close to identical. We see this as the case in other systems when multiple objects are created in close proximity for the same pool of material. The likelihood that the Moon and Earth could have formed at the same time  but ended up with such vast differences in composition is pretty small. So, that raises some doubt about the co-forming theory. Lunar Fission Theory So what other possible ways could the Moon have come about?  Theres the fission theory, which suggests that the Moon was spun out of Earth early in the solar systems history. While the Moon doesnt have the same composition as the entire Earth, it does bear  a striking resemblance to the outer layers of our planet. So what if the material for the Moon was spat out of the Earth as it spun around early in its development? Well, theres a problem with that idea, too. Earth doesnt spin nearly fast enough to spit anything out and likely wasnt spinning fast enough to do it early in its history. Or, at least, not fast enough to hurl a baby Moon out to space.   The best theory about the formation of the Moon says that the infant Earth and a Mars-sized body called Theia collided early in the history of the solar system. The remnants were blasted to space and eventually coalesced to form the Moon. NASA/JPL-Caltech  Ã‚   Large Impact Theory So, if the Moon wasnt spun out of the Earth and didnt form from the same set of material as Earth, how else could it have formed? The large impact theory may be the best one yet. It suggests that instead of being spun out of the Earth, the material that would become the Moon was instead ejected from the Earth during a massive impact. An object roughly the size of Mars, which planetary scientists have called Theia, is thought to have collided with the infant Earth early in its evolution (which is why we dont see much evidence of the impact in our terrain). Material from the Earths outer layers was sent hurtling into space. It  didnt get far though, as Earths gravity kept it close by. The still-hot  matter began to orbit about the infant Earth, colliding with itself and eventually coming together like putty.  Eventually, after cooling, the Moon evolved to the form that we are all familiar with today. Two Moons? While the large impact theory is widely accepted as by far the most likely explanation for the Moons birth, there is still at least one question that the theory has difficulty in answering: Why is the far side of the Moon so different than the near side? While the answer to this question is uncertain, one theory suggests that after the initial impact not one, but two moons formed around the Earth. However, over time these two spheres started a slow migration toward each other until, eventually, they collided.  The result was the single Moon that we all know today. This idea may explain some aspects of the Moon that other theories do not, but much work needs to be done to prove that it could have happened, using evidence from the Moon itself.   As with all science, theories are strengthened by additional data. In the case of the Moon, further studies of rocks from various places on and beneath the surface will help fill in the tale of our neighbor satellites formation and evolution. Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Geek Love, By Katherine Dunn - 871 Words

Many families have different rules set for their children, but they all have the same values. What is â€Å"normal† for most, if not all families is the want for their children to get an education and find a fitting career. Geek Love, written by Katherine Dunn, is a novel about the Binewski family, a family that is not exactly normal: each of the children were â€Å"created† differently when their mother took different drugs throughout her pregnancies. Arturo has flippers instead of legs and is known as Aquaboy, Iphy and Elly are Siamese twins, Oly is an albino hunchback, and Chick is telekinetic. Together they travel to show off their unusual human oddities with performances. Throughout the novel, Dunn shows that the Binewski’s value their performances over academics and that the sibling rivalries made them willing to do anything, even hurt one another, in order to be the best. The Binewski children take classes that are not geared to educate them but instead improve their performances for their shows and bring in crowds and money for their family. Oly, who narrates the story, introduces her family’s daily routine. She had training in â€Å"Elocution and diction, and microphonic presentation† (Dunn, p. 45) while â€Å"the twins had their piano lesson inside the trailer† (Dunn, p. 45). Oly does not have her own act like her brother and sisters, but she is responsible to introduce their acts which is why she needs speaking lessons. Her sisters, Elly and Iphy, learn how to play instrumentsShow MoreRelatedThe Use of Disgust Elicitors in Greek Love by Katherine Dunn753 Words   |  3 Pageselicitors in the book â€Å"Geek Love,† as well as the literary usage and connotations of modern day applications. ​In terms of literary practice, the physically disgusting is often described in visceral detail, specifically in adult fiction, and it almost always is used in a narrative context (Plantiga, 2009). However, it has not been used extensively in modern fiction works. The book â€Å"Geek Love† by Katherine Dunn is one such novel that explores the element of disgust quite explicably. Dunn explores the dark

Night Creature Hunter’s Moon Chapter 25 Free Essays

â€Å"We need to make an appointment with Cora,† Will said. â€Å"An appointment?† Jessie asked. â€Å"She’s that busy?† â€Å"You’d be surprised. We will write a custom essay sample on Night Creature: Hunter’s Moon Chapter 25 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † â€Å"Call her then.† Will undipped his cell phone from his belt. â€Å"No service. Again.† Jessie glanced at her phone and growled. Sometimes cell service was lost this deep in the woods. â€Å"Why don’t you two go on,† I said. â€Å"I’ll finish up here.† Jessie frowned. â€Å"This is my job – â€Å" â€Å"Is it? I thought it was mine.† â€Å"You two could arm wrestle for it,† Will suggested. I’d tangled with Jessie once. In a fair fight, she could kill me. A dirty fight was another matter. But I’m sure a dirty fight – as in mud wrestling – was just what Will had in mind. â€Å"I’ll pass.† â€Å"Me, too.† Jessie considered for a moment, then gave in. â€Å"Fine, Duchess, you burn the fanged and furry; we’ll go back to town and set up an appointment with the voodoo priestess.† â€Å"Grand medicine spirit woman,† Will said. â€Å"Eighth level.† â€Å"Whatever.† â€Å"Jess, she’s old and very well respected. You have to behave.† Jessie looked at me. â€Å"Don’t I know how to behave?† I glanced at Will. â€Å"Am I supposed to answer that?† â€Å"No. Give us a call,† he glanced at his cell, then hooked it back on his belt, â€Å"when you get to your place. Maybe we can see Cora today.† He took Jessie’s arm and tugged her back the way we’d come. Amazingly, she went without argument. Probably figured they’d have time for a quickie – I glanced at the three wolves – maybe even a longie, before I was finished. I dragged them into the center of the clearing, as far away from trees and bushes as I was able to get, added accelerant, then pulled out a match. I’d done this so many times, I wasn’t really paying attention. Instead, my gaze drifted to the forest, absently watching the flicker of Jessie’s and Will’s clothing fade away. I struck the match, and a sudden flash between me and them made me freeze. I stared in horror at what appeared to be stealthily moving white fur. I couldn’t take my eyes off the sight or figure out what it might mean. Then the match burned down to my fingertip and the pain caused me to curse, then drop it on the ground. I stomped the flame into oblivion and glanced back in the same direction. The flash of white was still there. I lifted my face to the sky. The sun shone brightly in the middle of the day, though the rays did not penetrate into the deep forest. Nevertheless, I drew my gun and ran. I should have shouted right away, warned them, something, but I wanted to kill him. I wanted to end this before I had to see someone else I cared about die. Time seemed to slow. They couldn’t have gone far, yet I seemed to run forever without getting any closer. The brush cleared and I saw him. Or thought I did. Poised to spring, he was still too far away for me to hit with a handgun. â€Å"Jessie!† I shouted. â€Å"Wolf!† A gunshot rang out. I frowned at the weapon in my hand. I hadn’t fired it. Another shot brought my head up. The gunfire was coming from the other direction, and the white wolf was gone. I ran toward Jessie and Will, heedless of the sniper. The shots had stopped. Because they were hit? Or because the shooter was gone? I burst through the trees, saw them on the ground, and my heart lurched. Jessie had thrown her body over Will. Her gun was drawn and aimed toward the shots, but when she heard me the barrel swung in my direction. â€Å"Get down!† Jessie snarled. I hit the dirt. Will struggled to get up. Jessie shoved his head into the ground. â€Å"Don’t,† she warned. We lay there for five minutes at least, ears straining for the sound of approaching footsteps – or padding paws. Nothing happened. Eventually I motioned toward the west. Jessie nodded and I crawled into the brush as she covered me. I scouted the area all around us. Ten minutes later I returned to the clearing. â€Å"Nothing,† I said. â€Å"Not a track, not a calling card. Zip.† Jessie scowled and allowed Will to sit up. Her hands fluttered over him checking for injuries. â€Å"Knock it off.† He pushed her away. â€Å"I’m fine.† â€Å"What happened?† she asked me. I hesitated. It was broad daylight. I couldn’t have seen the white wolf. Besides, a gun had been fired. No matter how super-duper a shape-shifter this guy was, a wolf didn’t have the opposable thumbs necessary to fire a weapon. Usually didn’t need to, since his teeth and claws, speed and agility, were weapons enough. In other words, if there’d been a wolf, he would have attacked, not changed into a human and shot at them. I’d been seeing things again. â€Å"Leigh?† Jessie pressed. â€Å"What, exactly, did you see?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"You shouted wolf,† Will pointed out. I glared at him and he held up his hands in surrender. â€Å"You said it.† â€Å"Yes,† Jessie murmured, â€Å"you did. Was it Hector?† â€Å"Look at the sky!† I shouted. â€Å"Any moon? I couldn’t have seen what I thought I did.† I sat down in the trampled grass and dirt, then wiped my hands across my face. â€Å"I’m losing it again,† I whispered. â€Å"I should go back to the padded room where I belong.† Jessie grabbed my upper arm. Her fingers dug into my flesh hard enough to make me wince. â€Å"You’re not crazy. He’s fucking with you.† â€Å"But it’s daytime.† â€Å"Everything we believe about werewolves seems to be coming apart. For all we know, a power eater can shift any damn time that it wants to.† I blinked. She could be right. For some reason, the thought cheered me. Jessie’s hold gentled. â€Å"You saved our lives, Leigh.† â€Å"I doubt that.† â€Å"You yelled; we hit the ground; a bullet whizzed through the air where my head had been.† â€Å"Mine, too,† Will added. â€Å"I should have called out as soon as I saw the white flash behind you.† Jessie released me. â€Å"No harm, no foul.† â€Å"Why didn’t he come after you?† Will asked. â€Å"We left you by yourself back there.† I shuddered at the thought of being alone in the woods with my nightmare. â€Å"He doesn’t want me dead,† I said, â€Å"just furry.† â€Å"There has to be a reason he let you go this time.† Will frowned as if an idea had just occurred to him. â€Å"He must be saving you for the blood moon.† â€Å"Gee, thanks, I hadn’t thought of that yet.† â€Å"Sorry,† Will muttered. We clambered to our feet. â€Å"Guess I’d better go back and finish what I didn’t even start,† I said, â€Å"I think we’ll go with you.† Jessie grabbed Will’s hand and tugged him into the lead. â€Å"I’ll be OK.† â€Å"Sure you will.† Cadotte glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. I gave up and followed them to the wolf pile. In truth, I didn’t want to be alone in the woods, day or night, anymore. Jessie and Will stopped so fast I plowed into them. â€Å"Shit,† she muttered. I went on tiptoe and peered over her shoulder. Pieces of the wolves I’d left behind were all over the place. â€Å"Chalk up three more for the bad guys,† Will said. â€Å"He was trying to draw me away from them, and I let him.† â€Å"He was also trying to kill us. Those bullets meant business.† â€Å"Moves awful quick, even for a wolf,† Jessie observed. â€Å"And changes quick, too. Between the time I saw a wolf, then someone shot at you, couldn’t have been more than a minute.† â€Å"Could have been two of them again.† She was right. Most likely the white wolf drew me away from the kill, then circled back. Someone, or something else, had shot at Jessie and Will. â€Å"Let’s burn what’s left and get the hell out of here,† I said. â€Å"I’m with you.† Pulling the body parts back into a pile was one of the least pleasant experiences of my life. Thankfully, I had help doing it. By unspoken agreement, Will did the physical labor along with me while Jessie stood guard. We’d been surprised once. None of us planned to be surprised again. I had just dumped more accelerant on the pyre and thrown on a match when Will exclaimed, â€Å"Oh, my God!† I spun, gun already in my hand, but nothing was in the clearing save the three of us and what was left of the dead wolves. Will ran across the damp, trampled grass toward Jessie. She scowled at him. â€Å"What is your problem?† He ignored her question, grabbing her by the shoulder and yanking her around. A bright red splotch of blood marred the back of Jessie’s uniform shirt. Since she hadn’t touched a single wolf body part, this concerned me. â€Å"You’re hit.† He turned her to face him and tried to unbutton her blouse. â€Å"Get a grip, Slick.† She smacked his hands away. â€Å"Not now.† â€Å"Let me see.† He tried to undress her again. â€Å"A scratch. Forget about it.† My heart thundered; my mouth was dry. She’d been wounded because of me. I’d worried that Will would be hurt, maybe killed, and Jessie would be unable to cope. In reality, it was the other way around. The anguish on Will’s face, the blood on Jessie’s clothes†¦ I was having a hard time thinking straight. I had to get them out of the line of fire. â€Å"Take her to town and clean her up,† I ordered. Jessie threw me an annoyed glare. â€Å"Who put you in charge?† â€Å"Edward.† â€Å"This is my town. I’m not going anywhere until we’re done here.† â€Å"You’re done.† She stepped forward until we were toe-to-toe. Since she had a good six inches on me, I had to crane my neck to meet her gaze. This made some of my authority go straight down the toilet. â€Å"I’m done when I say I’m done.† I quivered with rage – at the one who had hurt her, at myself for getting them into this, at Jessie for being so damned stubborn. All of a sudden the tension drained out of her and she glanced at Cadotte. â€Å"Watch the fire while I talk to Leigh.† He hesitated, then nodded and moved off. Jessie turned to me. â€Å"I can handle this myself,† I began. She snorted. â€Å"Right. You need us. We need you. Get used to it.† â€Å"I’ll call Edward. He’ll come back.† All I had to do was tell him that Hector was here, he’d be on the next plane. Up until now I’d avoided that conversation. Edward had saved me once. This time I wanted to save myself. But not at the cost of Jessie and Will. â€Å"You’ll call Edward and tell him what? That I’m incompetent? That Will’s a pansy?† I frowned. â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I chose this. So did Will. We knew the risks.† Did they? I had a hard time believing that. If they knew their chances of surviving this job were forty to two, would they stay? Maybe I should tell them. â€Å"You have each other. What do you need a dangerous job for? What if – ?† â€Å"We die? I’ve asked myself that question a hundred times. I could get hit by a truck tomorrow. Will could get shot by an overeager redneck today. That’s life, Leigh. At least we’re trying to save the world before we go.† A crusader. Who’d have thunk it? â€Å"It’s not like we plan on dying,† she continued. â€Å"I did kill the wolf god – all by myself.† I lifted a brow. â€Å"Kind of.† â€Å"Hector is bad news.† I looked around the bloody clearing. â€Å"And getting badder.† â€Å"Oooh, I’m all a-shiver.† I started to think ahead. I’d go out hunting alone. Ditch them whenever I could. Maybe I could end this without ending them. â€Å"I’m gonna stick to you like glue,† Jessie murmured. My eyes went to hers like a magnet drawn to metal. Amusement lightened her face, but her voice was stone-cold serious. â€Å"You’re not running around like Dirty Harry. We’re together now. All for one, one for all.† â€Å"Mix metaphors much?† â€Å"Bite me.† â€Å"If Hector gets to me first, I just might.† Jessie glanced over her shoulder at Will, who was still amusing himself with the bonfire. â€Å"Remember what you promised me and I promised you?† she whispered. How could I forget a promise like that? I nodded. â€Å"We’re partners now.† I scowled. I’d never had one of those, and I wasn’t sure what to do. Hug her? Shake her hand? Knock her out, tie her up, and keep her somewhere until the danger was over? â€Å"I’ve never had a friend like you before,† she admitted. Aw, hell. Now I couldn’t tie her up. How to cite Night Creature: Hunter’s Moon Chapter 25, Essay examples

Alice Walker Biography Essay Example For Students

Alice Walker Biography Essay The story Everyday Use, is being told by a mother who describes herself as a big boned woman, with a second grade education. She had always had to do the work of a man to provide for her family. A mother of two girls with different views on the family culture. Dee, a light skinned girl with nice hair and a full figure. Dee has always scorned the way the family lived. She comes home to visit and wants to take back some of the family heritage, such as Grandma Dees quilts. Maggie, a dark skinned, slim and shy girl, who has never been away from home. Maggie has a different love for the family heritage she will continue to carry it on, like quilting. While Dee and Maggie lived in the same house growing up, they have different believes about their heritage. Two women sat in the yard awaiting a visit from the older daughter, Dee, and a man who may are may not be husband. Dee, was very hard on the familys way of life, has gone to college and now seems to be a distant memory. Her mother imagines of being reunited with her daughter on television. She visions the perfect reunion someone would tell her what a fine daughter she has raised. Dee would come out in tears embracing her mother and pinning and orchid on her dress. Maggie, who is not bright and bears scars from a server house fire many years ago still, remains intimidated by her glamorous sibling. Her mother was astonished; Dee arrive wearing an ankle-length, gold and orange dress, bracelets and gold earrings hanging down to her shoulders. Her hair it stand straight up like hair the wool on a sheepWalker 283. Dee greets her family with a Swahili good morning. Her companion offers a Muslim greeting and tries to show Maggie a ceremonial handshake that she does not understand. Dee mother tried to start a conversation with Dee by calling her name. Dee explain that shes change her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, because I couldnt bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress meWalker 283. Wangero mother attempted to explain to her how far back her name go into the family history. Dee had been embarrass of her mothers house and possessions when she was younger the mother believe she was happy when the old house burn down, but now she seem to be happy with the old way of life. With her newfound joy with her cultural heritage, she takes photographs of the house, including her mom, sister, and a wandering cow. Dee, while eating, remembered she wanted to ask her mother if she could have the butter churn top whittled by her Uncle Buddy, do she may use it as a centerpiece for her table. Dee, after getting the churn top, she then ask for the dasher. Now her attention turns to a trunk at the  foot of her mothers bed. After she goes through the trunk, she returns with two quilts. The quilts become symbolic of the storys theme; in a sense, they represent the past of the women in the familyMaster Plots 733. Dee asks if she can have the quilts. Maggie in disbelief that Dee asked for the quilts slammed the kitchen door. The mother offers some other quilts that were in the trunk to her, she refused because the quilts because they were made with a machine. Then she tells Dee that she had promised the quilts to Maggie a wedding present. Dee tells her mother that Maggie would not appreciate the quilts and that she would use them in everyday use. Dees mother says she hope Maggie would use the quilts. The two sisters values concerning the quilt represent the two meaning approaches to art appreciation in our society. Art can be valued for financial and aesthetic reasons, or it can be valued for personal and emotional reasonsJokinen