Public opinion reflects new stance
It's no visible to us, but the Moon s clouded with space dust. The cloud is primarily made up of tiny dust grains, which come from the Moon's surface.
There's a wide range of density on the Moon due to craters and other phenomena. Some areas record up to 37 miles (60 km) of thickness, while other areas record almost nothing.
A full day on the Moon lasts about 29 Earth days on average, from one sunrise to the next. That's about 655 hours long.
From January's Wolf Moon to September's Harvest Moon, ancient cultures have given full moons these names based on the behavior of the plants, animals, or weather.
A lunar eclipse lasts longer than a solar eclipse because Earth’s shadow is much longer. In a lunar eclipse, Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon.
The Moon is covered with impact craters, which gives it that recognizable Swiss cheese-look. The largest one is the South Pole-Aitken crater, which spans a whopping 1,550 miles (2,494 km).
The Moon doesn't produce its own light, it actually reflects the light of the Sun. And its brightness depends on the exact angle between the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Out of the 200 moons that are in our solar system, Earth's Moon ranks as the fifth largest. The biggest is Jupiter's moon, Ganymede, which is almost one-and-a-half times bigger than ours.
In 2019, China landed with its spacecraft on the far side of the Moon. It was the first spacecraft in history to land on this unexplored area, which is never visible from Earth. There they studied the vast craters on the cold surface.
On Earth, light is reflected through air molecules, which is why the sky looks blue and still allows objects to be well-lit, even when they're not in direct sunlight. Known as Rayleigh scattering, this doesn't happen on the Moon, as there's no air up there. This is why shadows are darker on the Moon.
The Moon gets its beautiful hues when the Sun's light passes through the Earth's atmosphere and reflects on it. For example, during a Harvest Moon, while farmers are working on their crops, dust particles are sent into the atmosphere. This helps the Sun's rays give the Moon its orange glow.
Those dark spots are remnants of ancient magma flow that caused the rock surface to appear darker. They were dubbed "Maria," Latin for seas, by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas.
A study conducted at Switzerland's Basel University in 2013 discovered that the Moon influenced subjects to take longer to fall asleep, sleep less, and spend fewer moments in a state of deep sleep. This was due to the lunar cycle, and not the brightness of the Full Moon.
As there is no wind or water on the surface of the Moon, an astronaut’s footprint could last for millions of years.
Sources: (Space) (Earth Sky)
See also: Written in the stars–how planets affect our daily lives
When the Moon is at its perigee, i.e. when it is nearest to the Earth, the weather and tides tend to be unstable, with larger tides due to gravitational pull. And when the Moon is at its apogee, i.e. the farthest from the Earth, the weather and tides tend to be more predictable.
The Moon is about 1.2% of Earth's mass, which means that the planet that we're living on weighs 81 times more than the lunar body.
It might look like you can almost touch the Moon on a nice, clear night. However, it's about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) away from Earth.
Unlike Earth, the Moon has no atmosphere to help shield it from the radiation of the Sun. Therefore, when the Sun hits its surface, it reaches a scorching 260°F (126°C). In contrast, on the far side of the Moon where the Sun doesn't shine, it can fall to -387°F (-232°C).
Most people think that the Moon is round, but it's actually shaped like a lemon. This is due to various factors, including impact craters and the gravity field that exists around it.
Billions of years ago, Earth came into contact with a planet called Theia. The collision resulted in almost all the Earth and Theia becoming one body. The small part that was left behind became the Moon.
When you think of satellites, you might picture one that provides TV channels. However, a satellite is also a moon, planet, or machine that orbits a planet or star. And while the Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, it circles us with over 3,000 artificial ones, including Sputnik.
While it's impossible for us to notice this from our distance, the Moon actually moves 1.49 inches (3.8 cm) away from Earth every year. The migration of the Moon is mainly due to the Earth's tides. Tides raised in the oceans causes drag and slows down the Earth's spin rate. This results in the loss of angular momentum, which is compensated by the Moon speeding up and moving further away.
The Moon is around 27% the size of the Earth. Picture it like this: if Earth were a tennis ball, then the Moon would be a golf ball.
Eugene Shoemaker (1928-1997) was a geologist who was instrumental in planetary science. In 1998, his remains were launched in a memorial capsule aboard Lunar Prospector to the Moon. There it crashed onto the surface, making him the only human to have his remains on the Moon.
During studies of the Moon that were conducted between 1969 and 1972, Apollo astronauts installed seismometers that discovered rumbling. These moonquakes registered up to 5.5 on the Richter scale.
In 2014, NASA reported that a team from Arizona State University discovered patches on the Moon, which originated from volcanic eruptions around 50 million years ago.
Signed by the UN in 1967, the Outer Space Treaty was established to limit the potential of anyone claiming the Moon and other planets as their own.
The Moon orbits Earth once every 27.3 days, and spins on its axis once every 27.3 days. So even when the Moon is rotating, it always keeps the same side toward us. This is known as synchronous rotation.
Since the Apollo 11 mission took place in 1969, astronauts have left plenty of items on the Moon's surface. Objects like tools, food, human waste, and over 70 spacecraft vehicles are still up there.
If you're truly fascinated by the Moon, check out the following gallery for some cool Moon facts. Click on!
Fascinating Moon facts that are out of this world
The only place outside of Earth where humans have stepped foot
LIFESTYLE Space
Earth's most constant companion and the easiest celestial object to find in the night sky, the Moon has been fascinating people since the beginning of time. Throughout the centuries, the Moon has been the center of countless myths, legends, and stories around the world. And in modern times, our celestial neighbor has been the focus of both films and songs, making us even more enchanted by it. Not to mention actual astronauts walking on it!
If you're truly fascinated by the Moon, check out the following gallery for some cool Moon facts. Click on!