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Father: They found many craters on the surface of the moon. Craters are hollow

cavities, circular in shape. They were formed when huge rocks from the outer

space hit the moon. Besides these craters, they also saw tall mountains and flat
places called seas. The astronauts collected moon dust and rocks and brought

them to Earth.

Rahul: Daddy, I have this strange doubt. The moon shines only during the night. Then

where is it during the day?

Father: The fact is that the moon doesn’t shine by its own light at all. It shines because
the light of the sun falls on it. During the day, the moon is there in the sky, but

it is not visible to us because the sun shines very brightly.

Rahul: So, is it dark on the moon always?

What did the
astronauts find on the
surface of the moon?

Father: That’s a good question. A day on the moon lasts two weeks. It is followed by two

weeks of night, when it gets extremely cold. The days are extremely hot and the
nights are extremely cold. There is light for two weeks and darkness for two weeks
on the moon.

Rahul: How does an astronaut live in such conditions?

Father: The space unit worn by an astronaut protects him against the extreme temperatures
on the moon. However, a space unit can be worn only for a short time. So, an

astronaut cannot stay there for too long.

Rahul: A spacesuit must be really heavy. Isn’t it, daddy?

Father: Yes, it is indeed very heavy. But once the astronaut gets to the moon, it becomes

very light. This is because of the weightless conditions there.
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