10 Surprising Facts About The Moon Everyone Needs to Know
Here are 10 surprising facts about the moon:
1. The moon is Earth's only natural satellite and is about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) away from the planet. It is the fifth-largest natural satellite in the solar system.
2. The moon is about one-quarter the size of Earth and has a surface area of about 14.6 million square miles (37.9 million square kilometers).
3. The moon's surface is rocky and covered in a layer of dust called regolith, which is made up of tiny particles of rock and dust.
4. The moon has no atmosphere, so there is no air or water on its surface. The temperature on the moon can range from about -280°F (-173°C) at night to about 260°F (127°C) during the day.
5. The moon has a number of craters, mountains, and other features on its surface, many of which were formed by impacts from comets and asteroids.
6. The moon's gravitational pull affects the tides on Earth and also causes small variations in Earth's rotation.
7. The moon is believed to have formed about 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after the formation of the solar system.
8. The moon has no known life and has not had any form of life on its surface for billions of years.
9. The first manned mission to the moon was the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon.
10. The moon is a popular target for scientific exploration and has been visited by a number of spacecraft, including NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Chinese Chang'e 4 lander.
moon phases, facts, nasa, lunar