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Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, with a diameter of about 3,476 km and an average distance of 384,400 km from Earth. It is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face, and is believed to have formed from a giant impact about 4.5 billion years ago. The Moon plays a crucial role in space exploration, serving as a potential base for future missions to Mars and beyond.

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37 views1 page

Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, with a diameter of about 3,476 km and an average distance of 384,400 km from Earth. It is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face, and is believed to have formed from a giant impact about 4.5 billion years ago. The Moon plays a crucial role in space exploration, serving as a potential base for future missions to Mars and beyond.

Uploaded by

Anthony Luna
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE MOON

Earth's Only Natural Satellite: The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth, meaning it orbits
around our planet. It is the fifth largest moon in the Solar System. The Moon goes through a
cycle of phases over approximately 29.5 days.

Size and Distance: The Moon has a diameter of about 3,476 km (2,159 miles), which is roughly
one-quarter the size of Earth. It is about 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles) away from Earth
on average.

Tidal Locking: The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth, meaning one side of the Moon
always faces Earth.

Origin: The most widely accepted theory for the Moon's origin is the "giant impact
hypothesis." It suggests that the Moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago after a Mars-sized
object collided with Earth.

Exploration: The first successful human landing on the Moon was Apollo 11 in 1969, when
astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on its surface.

Moon's Role in Space Exploration: The Moon is seen as a stepping stone for further space
exploration, with plans for future bases and lunar missions to use it as a launching point for
missions to Mars and beyond.

Lunar Eclipse: A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting
a shadow on the Moon. This can only happen during a full moon.

Gravity on the Moon: The Moon’s gravity is about 1/6th of Earth's gravity. This means objects
on the Moon weigh much less than they do on Earth, and astronauts can jump much higher.

Water on the Moon: There is water on the Moon, mostly in the form of ice. It is found in
permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles.

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