Why does the moon have no atmosphere at all?

20 February 2011

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Question

Why does the moon have no atmosphere at all?
Ray from Rylstone Australia

Answer

We posed this question to Peter Braesicke from the University of Cambridge...

Peter - I think the Moon is just too small. There's not enough gravity there to keep an atmosphere and so, because the Earth is much, much bigger, it is able to keep the atmosphere gravitationally together and so, that's why we enjoy the benefit of the atmosphere.

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