Moon (Earth)

MOON {EARTH}

General Information

The Moon is an astronomical body that orbits Earth as its only natural satellite. It is the fifth-largest satellite in the Solar System, and the largest among planetary satellites relative to the size of the planet that it orbits. It is the easiest celestial object to find in the clear night sky. Moon always shows us the same face! This is because it takes both to rotate on its axis and to orbit Earth. We either see the full moon, half moon, or no moon (new moon) because the moon reflects sunlight.. How much of it we see depends on the moon's position in relation to Earth and the Sun. Neil Armstrong was the first person to step on moon.

Fun Facts

• Moon orbits Earth at a speed of 3,680.5 km/h.
• The moon's gravity pulls at the Earth, causing predictable rises and falls in sea levels known as tides. To a much smaller extent, tides also occur in lakes, the atmosphere, and within Earth's crust.
• The pull of moon is also slowing the Earth's rotation, an effect known as tidal braking, which increases the length of our day by 2.3 milliseconds per century.
• The energy that Earth loses is picked up by moon, increasing its distance from Earth, which means the moon gets farther by 3.8 centimeters annually.