Moon

The Moon is the large round object that orbits around the planet earth. It is Earth's only natural satellite, meaning it is not man-made but part of nature. The Moon is about one-quarter the size of Earth and is located about 384,000 kilometers away. Because it reflects light from the sun, it appears bright in the night sky.

The Moon does not make its own light. Instead, sunlight shines on its surface and bounces back to Earth, which is why we can see it. The shape of the Moon we see changes throughout the month in a cycle called its phases. These phases include the new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. Each phase happens because of how sunlight hits the Moon as it moves around Earth.

Scientists believe the Moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago, likely from debris left over after a large object hit Earth. Its surface is covered with dust and rocks. There are many craters caused by space rocks, called meteoroids, that hit the Moon over time. Because the Moon has very little air and no water or weather, these craters remain for millions of years.

The Moon affects Earth in important ways. Its gravity causes the ocean’s tides, which are the regular rising and falling of sea levels. The Moon’s pull helps keep Earth’s rotation steady, which affects our climate and length of days. People have studied the Moon for thousands of years to measure time and plan calendars.

Humans first visited the Moon in 1969 during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on its surface. Since then, several spacecraft have landed or orbited the Moon to study its surface and materials. Scientists hope to send people there again in the future to learn more about its history and how it can help space travel.

From Earth, the Moon can look very large and bright, but it is actually a quiet, airless world. Though lifeless, it remains one of the most studied and admired objects in the sky, always circling our planet and showing its familiar glow every night.