The Moon

space · Earth's neighbor · night sky

Earth's only moon. The Moon is the one natural satellite that orbits our planet, circling at an average distance of about 384,399 kilometers away.

Really far away. The gap between Earth and the Moon is roughly 30 times the width of Earth itself!

Maker of tides. The Moon's gravity tugs on Earth's oceans, which is the main reason we have rising and falling tides.

Always the same face. Because the Moon is 'tidally locked,' it always shows us the same side and we never see its far side from Earth.

Monthly journey. The Moon takes about 29.5 days to go through all its phases, from new moon back to new moon.