Facts about the Moon!
Ready for a night time adventure? Then 3, 2, 1… Liftoff!
Calling all budding young space cadets! Join us as we head into the universe to discover ten fascinating facts about the Moon…
Likes
10 facts about the Moon
- 1) The Moon is a dusty ball of rock, measuring 3,476km in diameter – that’s roughly a quarter of the size of Earth.
- 2) Its surface is home to mountains, huge craters and flat planes called ‘seas’ made of hardened lava.
- 3) The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite – a celestial body that orbits a planet. Its orbit around our planet is shaped like a slightly squashed circle known as an ellipse.
- 4) It takes 27.3 days for the Moon to travel all the way around the Earth and complete its orbit.
- 5) Although the Moon shines bright in the night sky, it doesn’t produce its own light. We see the Moon because it reflects light from the Sun.
- 6) Ever noticed how the Moon appears to change shape each night? That’s because as the Moon orbits the Earth, the Sun lights up different parts of its surface – so it’s just our view of the Moon that’s changing, not the Moon itself. Find out more in our fascinating phases of the Moon feature!
Check out our magazine!
National Geographic Kids is an exciting monthly read for planet-passionate boys and girls, aged 6-13!
Packed full of fun features, jaw-dropping facts and awe-inspiring photos – it’ll keep you entertained for hours!
Find our magazine in all good newsagents, or become a subscriber and have it delivered to your door! Ask your parents to check out the ‘Subscribe’ tab on our website!
(AD)
- 7) As the Moon travels, it rotates on its own axis, just like our planet. It takes roughly the same amount of time for the Moon to make a full rotation as it does for it to complete its orbit. This means we only ever see around 60% of the Moon’s surface from Earth! The part that faces Earth is known as the ‘near side’ and the other, the ‘far side’.
- 8) The temperature on the Moon varies from super hot to super cold! When the Sun hits its surface, temperatures can reach a scorching 127°C. But when the Sun ‘goes down’, temperatures can plummet to around -153°C. Brr…
- 9) Like Earth, the Moon has gravity (the force that pulls things towards the ground). But the Moon’s gravity is weaker, only one sixth of the Earth’s gravity, in fact. That means you’d weigh much less if you were to stand on the Moon!
- 10) Scientists aren’t entirely sure how the Moon formed. A popular theory is that a Mars-sized rock, named Theia, crashed into Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. The debris from the collision clumped together to make what is now… Our Moon!
What do you think of our facts about the Moon? Out of this world, right?! Leave a comment below and let us know…
Likes
LEAVE A COMMENT
your avatar
THANK YOU
While you wait for it to be checked and approved why not to add a pre-selected message and a cool badge
WELL DONE,
YOUR COMMENT
HAS BEEN ADDED!
COMMENTS
I'm doing a project for school and I never knew this much about the moon!
COOL!
COOL!
AMAZING+COOL+INTERESTING
Nice
This is interesting stuff
nice!
Hi
Nice
Good
yay
hi
it is cool
interesting!
this is so cool
i love this
Awesome facts!
Well nice
Cccccccccoooooooooooolllllllllllllllll
I want to go to the moon!
I really loved it
This website is amazing!!!
it was nice
I enjoyed reading your facts about the moon.
Thanks(❁´◡`❁)
listen I'm in college but these facts (moon)rock
cool
wow
It is so cool to see you all too good
Noice
cool
wow
The moon is cool
Cool!
cool
cool
cool
Cool!
cool