Jul 21, 2024, 08:09 PM IST
The Moon is about 1/6th the size of Earth and is approximately 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) away from us.
The Moon goes through eight phases in a cycle that lasts about 29.5 days, from new moon to full moon and back again.
The Moon's gravity is about 1/6th as strong as Earth's. This means you would weigh much less on the Moon than you do on Earth.
The Moon’s surface is covered with craters, mountains, and valleys. The dark spots are called "maria" (singular: "mare"), which are ancient basaltic lava plains.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, causing Earth's shadow to fall on the Moon.
The Moon's gravity affects Earth’s tides, creating high and low tides in the oceans.
The Moon has a very thin atmosphere, called an exosphere, which is not dense enough to support weather or life.
The first humans landed on the Moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent about 21 hours on the lunar surface.