Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about the Moon?
If so, excellent! You are in exactly the right place my friend…
It’s time to chat about Moon facts.
Let’s dive right in…
Facts About The Moon
1 – The moon is a celestial body that orbits the earth and provides light during night-time hours.
2 – The moon is not solid, but rather composed of rock, dust, and gas particles.
3 – There are many different phases of the moon.
4 – If you were standing on the surface of the Moon with your feet in one spot, you would be able to see about 54% of it at any given time.
5 – It takes takes 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes and 11 seconds for the moon to rotate around earth.
More Facts About The Moon
6 – The word ‘moon’ is derived from Old English “mōna” which means “month” or “measurement of time.”
7 – The moon’s diameter ranges from 3,474 kilometers (2,159 miles) at perigee down to 2,158 kilometers (1,354 miles) at apogee.
8 – Apollo astronauts left behind a plaque on the moon that reads “We came in peace for all mankind.”
9 – There are 12 constellations associated with the zodiac signs that can be seen on the surface of the moon as well as many craters and other geological features such as mountains and valleys.
10 – The moon orbits the Earth at a distance of about 240,000 miles.
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11 – One theory suggests that a Mars-sized planet crashed into Earth and broke off some pieces, which became our Moon.
Another theory says that when Earth cooled down enough after it formed, it got hit by another object in space and there were two moons that eventually merged together to form one we know today.
12 – The first man-made satellite to orbit the earth was Luna 1 on January 31st 1959.
13 – The moon is not a planet. It has no light of its own, but it shines by reflecting the sun’s light.
14 – A full moon is about as wide as your thumb held at arm’s length.
15 – The moon is the only natural satellite of Earth.
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16 – A lunar eclipse occurs when a full or new moon passes through Earth’s shadow and turns red because of sunlight scattering off our atmosphere.
17 – There are two types of solar eclipses- total and annular – they occur when the sun, earth, and moon align in that order but at different angles.
18 – When astronauts return to earth after being on the Moon for a long time their bodies have been exposed to less gravity than on Earth which causes them to be taller than people who live here all their lives. It takes 27 days for an astronaut’s muscles to readjust back down again after returning from space.
19 – The Moon’s rotation is locked with its revolution so one side always faces Earth while another always faces away.
20 – Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the moon in 1969. It was launched on July 16 and had three crew members: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.
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21 – The first man on the moon was American Astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) – he stepped onto the moon six and a half hours after landing on the moon. Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon nineteen minutes later.
22 – We only see the same side of the moon because it rotates on its axis in 1 day – we call this our “day”. Although the moon constantly rotates, it actually always keeps the one face towards us.
23 – In Chinese culture, the moon is a symbol of femininity and romance
24 – There are many myths and legends about the moon, including its association with insanity and werewolves
25 – The word “moon” comes from an ancient Indo-European root meaning “to measure,” as in time or distance
Bonus Facts
The moon has no atmosphere, but it does have an outer layer called the “exosphere”
The gravitational pull between earth and moon cause tides on both sides.
