About 100 meteoroids of masses between 100 g and 1000 kg hit the Moon each year. The Moon is spherical with a total surface area given by 4πR² (where R = radius). If a future lunar settler owns a parcel of land 1 km by 1 km in size, approximately how often, on average, will a meteoroid of this size strike somewhere in the parcel?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Moon's surface area is approximately 38 million square kilometers. A 1 km by 1 km parcel is 1 square kilometer. Given 100 meteoroids hit the Moon each year, the chance of one hitting this specific parcel is 100 divided by 38 million, or about once every 380,000 years, which rounds to the provided option of once every 400,000 years.

About 100 Meteoroids of Masses Between 100 G and 1000