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American Morning

Ask CNN: What is the Moon Made Of?

Aired June 21, 2001 - 09:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JASON FIGLIOLINI, NORCROSS, GEORGIA: Hi. My name is Jason Figliolini. I live in Norcross, Georgia. And I want to ask CNN what's the moon made of?

ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's not made of cheese. Here's what scientists theorize. About 4.4 billion years ago a planetary body about the size of Mars went hurtling toward what was then a very young earth, slammed into earth, vaporized and broke into many pieces, as well, and some of those pieces went back into space and formed a ring around our earth. Eventually, those pieces fused together and became our moon.

The moon has three layers -- an iron core, a hot fluid mantle and a tough outer crust, but no atmosphere. Scientists say the moon experiences volcanoes and layers of its inner rock shift. Meteorites continue to hit the moon. That's how it gets its uneven landscape. Those pockmarks are scars of meteorite hits. The moon is made of rubble from those meteorites, rock fragments and dust. The soil has been accumulating for four billion years and it continues to change.

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