The Moon Has a Tail!

The moon has a long sodium tail, discovered during the 1998 Leonid meteor shower. This tail is visible around the new moon and is formed by sodium atoms from the moon's exosphere, which is a thin atmosphere. The sodium is released through outgassing and sputtering, then swept away by solar wind. Studies have shown that the tail's brightness remains constant, but NASA's LADEE mission found that sodium levels vary with the lunar cycle and meteor showers increase sodium density. Despite years of study, there is still much to learn about the moon's tail.

What phenomenon led to the discovery of the moon's tail?

• A solar eclipse

• The 1998 Leonid meteor shower

• A lunar eclipse

• The 2006 Perseid meteor shower

What is the primary reason the moon cannot retain its sodium particles?

• Its high temperature

• Its small size and low gravity

• Its distance from the Earth

• Its lack of a magnetic field

What was the main goal of the 2 1/2 year study on the moon's tail?

• To measure the moon's gravitational pull

• To study the moon's surface temperature

• To find the main factor influencing the tail's brightness

• To determine the moon's exact distance from Earth

What did NASA's LADEE mission discover about the moon's exosphere?

• The exosphere is composed mainly of hydrogen

• Sodium levels change throughout the lunar cycle

• The exosphere is thicker than Earth's atmosphere

• The moon's tail is visible during a full moon

How do meteor showers affect the moon's tail?

• They increase the density of sodium

• They have no effect on the tail

• They decrease the density of sodium

• They shorten the length of the tail