Let’s find out all about The Moon.

Plus you can learn more about what’s in our Solar System with our Top 10 Facts on the sun; the planets Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto.

The Moon has fascinated us for centuries, from its glowing beauty in the night sky to its role in astrology, folklore, and science. It’s an object of mystery and wonder, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Here are 10 amazing facts about the Moon that you may not know.

Find out more about the moon and our galaxy, as well as flights into space, with DEEP SPACE HIGH

1. The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite.

A satellite is an object that orbits another object. The Moon orbits the Earth making it a satellite.

2. It takes 27.3 days for the Moon to travel all the way around the Earth.

The Moon takes about one month to orbit Earth.

3. The Moon is a lot smaller than The Sun.

When we are standing on Earth the Moon and Sun look like they are the same size. In fact the Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun but appears the same size because it is a lot closer to Earth.

4. The Moon was made when a rock smashed into Earth.

We don’t know for sure how the moon got here but most scientists think the Moon was created when a rock the size of Mars slammed into Earth.

5. The Moon controls the tides.

The Moon and Earth exert a gravitational pull on each other. This gravitational pull causes the waves we see when we’re in a boat or at the seaside.

6. There is water on the Moon!

This is in the form of ice trapped on the moons surface. They have been detected on the part of the Moon in permanent shadow, where the Sun never reaches, and are therefore very cold, enabling the ice to survive.

7. Earth’s Moon is the only place beyond Earth where humans have set foot.

Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on the moon in July 1969. In total 12 people have been on the Moon.

8. You can’t breathe on the Moon.

The Moon has a very thin and tenuous atmosphere called an exosphere. It is not breathable which is why Astronauts need space suits and helmets that will let them breathe.

9. The Moon is getting further away.

The Moon started out around ten times closer to the Earth than it is now and it’s still moving further away by 3.78cm a year. That’s roughly the same rate at which your fingernails grow.

10. The Moon ISN’T made of cheese.

Have you ever heard people say the Moon is made of cheese? Well it’s actually made of oxygen, silicon, magnesium, iron, calcium, and aluminium plus small amounts of other elements.

Learn more about what’s in our Solar System with our Top 10 Facts on the sun; the planets Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto.

Why does the Moon change shape?

It doesn’t! The Moon is always the same round ball of rock. What changes is how much of it we can see lit up from down here.

The Moon doesn’t make any light of its own. Moonlight is really sunlight: the Sun shines on the Moon, and the Moon bounces it back to us. That bouncing is called reflecting.

As the Moon travels round the Earth — which takes about 28 days — we see that lit-up half from different angles. Sometimes we can see all of it, which is a full Moon. Sometimes only a sliver, which is a crescent. And sometimes none of it at all, which is a new Moon.

One more strange thing: whatever shape it looks, the same side of the Moon is always facing us. Nobody saw the far side of the Moon until we sent a spacecraft round the back of it.

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