Mysteries of Earth’s Moon by Tony Scott
For many years, the moon has served as a major point of interest for astronomers. It is also the only other area in the galaxy, other than earth, that humanity has stepped foot on. The first two men to ever step foot on the moon were Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on July 20, 1969 (NASA-The First Person on the Moon). Since then, several other trips to the moon have taken place to retrieve sample moon rocks for further study. The origin of the moon, to this day, still remains uncertain. Scientists use moon rock samples brought back from the Apollo missions for examination to get a better understanding of the history and creation of the moon (“Moon” Wikipedia).
One of the lunar geologists who are involved in these studies is Ryan Zeigler. Ryan Zeigler is a SUNY Potsdam graduate who is now one of the researchers employed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (NASA) Like many other scientists in the same field, Ryan shares the common goal in finding the answer to the question: How was the moon formed? One theory suggests that the moon was formed about 4.9 billion years ago from a combination of debris caused by a collision between earth and a Mars-sized body (Earth’s Moon). However, there is no concrete evidence that fully supports this theory. Though, it’s been discovered that even though earth has very different levels of composition compared to other bodies in the solar system such as Mars and Vesta, the isotopic compositions found on earth and the moon are very similar. (“Moon” - Wikipedia) This could imply that some of the compositions on the moon came from earth, thus promoting the theory of the moon’s creation taking place by a collision between earth and another body.
More than three hundred kilograms of lunar rocks have been collected from nine different areas on the moon for examination (Christiansen, Eric/ Hamblin, W), and like forensic anthropologists study bones to clarify the lifestyle and physical growth by studying the remains of a subject, lunar geologists like, Ryan Zeigler, study lunar samples to piece together a timeline based on the moon’s physical states and experiences since the beginning of its existence, to current date…By studying the lunar rocks, scientists have constructed a plausible timeline of events that took place after its creation... The first occurrence implied by their hypothesis, was the changing of the moon’s exterior structural formation resulting from the crystallization of a magma ocean covering the moon’s surface… Based on other studies, researchers have found that a large portion of the moon was at one time, covered in magma… They figure the magma was a result from the formation of the moon after the theorized, collision took place (Christiansen, Eric/ Hamblin, W). Consider this an educated guess, but it’s probable that the magma was formed due to a portion of the matter being highly overheated from the collision, thus, somehow forming into pure magma during the fusion from the debris. However, understandably, the magma crystalized, which formed a solid landscape after hardening… The timeline suggests that the moon also went through a heavy bombardment of meteors…This would obviously explain the several impact craters that cover the moon. The extrusion of magma beneath the moon’s surface was implied to have happened later on, which also crystallized and formed igneous rock, adding to the moon’s rough terrain… The last occurrence said to have happened was a lighter bombardment of meteors (Christiansen, Eric/ Hamblin, W). Having constructed a timeline for the moon could serve as a useful factor in discovering the answer many scientists are looking for. If we can learn about the moon’s development maybe that can help us learn about its formation. It’s a process of working backwards to finally work our way to the very beginning.
While the creation of the moon still remains a mystery, the search for the truth is of high importance. Solving this mystery could help researchers answer more commonly asked questions as well. Such as, how the earth was created, or the questions many people have about why earth is so unique, and why the earth is the only known planet that holds life. Perhaps the answer lies in the creation of earth. Maybe it was the process of the earth’s creation that resulted in its capabilities of sustaining life. It could give us a better understanding on how life on earth became possible. If we understand that, it could give us a probable indication that maybe there are other areas in the universe that sustain life. Maybe our existence isn’t a mere accident or coincidence, but rather a natural occurrence. It’s interesting to believe that such a small part of the universe could not only reveal mysteries of its own, but likely reveal mysteries of the universe at large.
In conclusion, Ryan Zeigler will be making an appearance at the Making the Future Festival to talk to students about his research and what interesting information he has to offer, so I feel it may be appropriate to give you a little bit of background information about Ryan, since he also went to college here at Potsdam state. I feel this information may be important for many other students to hear because many of them could probably relate to what experiences Ryan went through during his education at this college. Ryan describes himself as somewhat of a “nerd” in college, due to the fact that he did spend a bit more time studying than most other students. However, he did involve himself in campus clubs, sports, and other recreational services the campus has to offer. On top of that, like many other students, he did take classes that he struggled with and didn’t quite enjoy. One of these classes that comes to mind is Art History. This piece of information is somewhat intriguing because I have heard the same thing from other students that go here now. Out of all the hard classes here, Art history is so far, the one I’ve heard peers ranting about the most. That is why I find it interesting to know about his experience. However, despite the struggles he had in some of his classes, he believes that every class does hold some amount of significance to every student, even if it’s a course that has nothing to do with their major. No matter what class it is, there’s always some amount of knowledge to be obtained from it. (Zeigler, Ryan) Here's how Ryan put it in an email to me:
I took classes I loved and took classes I hated, and almost all of them have beenAnd personally, I’ve been a strong believer that the more you learn, the faster you learn. The more time you spend increasing your current knowledge, the more rapidly you excel in gaining further knowledge.
useful to me after I left. Despite having gone on to success after leaving Potsdam,
there were still classes that gave me fits while I was there (Art History and
Calculus spring to mind), but I'm glad I've taken them. I think that in general when
students get challenged by a class, especially one outside of their specialty, they
tend to write it off as unimportant. I would urge students that every class is
important and will help you in life, and to try to persevere. I also found that in
graduate school, I was as well prepared as my colleagues who went to more
prestigious undergraduate institutions. What you get out of college will be a direct
reflection of what you put into it. If you spend 4 years working hard, you'll come
out well prepared. If you spend 4 years goofing off and scraping by, you'll come out
of it poorly prepared.(Zeigler, Ryan)
Ryan will be speaking at the Making the Future Festival on April 11th at 3:00 p.m. in Kellas hall, room 106. Lunar geology is an interesting topic to learn about because it answers and raises questions that not only pertain it itself but to other topics as well, like how the earth and planets may have been created. I would advise any student to see this presentation. It promotes new knowledge, and in my opinion, any kind of knowledge is worth obtaining.
Works Cited
“Moon.” Wikipedia. 2013. Web. 3, March 2013
Earth’s Moon: Formation, Composition and Orbit. Space. TechMediaNetwork. 2013. Web.
3, March 2013.
Canright, Shelley. “NASA-The First Person on the Moon.” NASA. n.p. Web. 9 April 2009.
Christiansen, Eric. &Hamblin, W. “Chapter 4: The Geology of the Moon.” exPlanets. n.p. 2007. Web. 3 March 2013.
NASA. “Dr. Ryan A. Zeigler: Planetary Scientist; Apollo Sample Curator.” 2013. Web. March 3, 2013.
Zeigler, Ryan A. Personal Communication. 4 March 2013.
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