Tranquility Base

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tranquility-base

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geological setting?Mare Tranquillitatis, a basaltic plain formed by ancient volcanic activity
2. What is the mission?Apollo 11
3. Why did the astronauts choose Tranquility Base?It is a flat, smooth area with few rocks, making it a safe place to land and easy to talk to Earth.
4. When did the first Moon landing happen?The first Moon landing took place on July 20, 1969.

Mare (plural: Maria): Large, dark, basaltic plains on the Moon's surface, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.
Lunar Regolith: The layer of loose dust, soil, and broken rock that covers the Moon's surface.
Giant-Impact Hypothesis: The leading theory suggesting the Moon formed from debris after a Mars-sized object collided with early Earth.