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The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and orbits at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,900 mi), about 30 times the diameter of Earth. Learn more about the Moon's formation, surface, gravity, and other characteristics from Wikipedia.
Learn about the different theories and evidence for how the Moon was created, such as the giant-impact hypothesis, the captured body hypothesis, and the merger of two planets hypothesis. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of each theory and explore the latest research and discoveries.
Learn about the apparent shape of the Moon's sunlit portion as viewed from Earth, and how it changes over a lunar month. Find out the four major and intermediate phases, the causes of lunar libration, and the cultural and astronomical significance of the Moon's phases.
A full moon is when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective, occurring about once a month. Learn about the characteristics, formula, lunar eclipses and folklore of the full moon phase from Wikipedia.
The Moon orbits Earth in the prograde direction and completes one revolution relative to the stars in about 27.32 days. Learn about the properties, variations and precession of the Moon's orbit around Earth and the Earth–Moon system.
Learn about the different features and processes that shape the lunar surface, such as impacts, volcanism, and tectonics. Explore the geologic history of the Moon from its formation to the present day, based on observations, samples, and data.
Learn about the history and achievements of lunar exploration, from ancient observations to modern missions. The first human landing on the Moon was in 1969, when Apollo 11 astronauts touched down on the lunar surface.
The Moon has a small, iron-rich core that is at least partly molten and surrounded by a partially melted lower mantle. The core is about 20% the size of the Moon and formed from the fractional crystallization of a magma ocean after the giant impact that created the Earth-Moon system.