Space and Astronomy Atlas

How The Universe Works
Celestial Objects

The Moon

Also Known As Luna
Earth's Natural Satellite

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Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest moon in the solar system. The leading scientific hypothesis holds that it formed from debris ejected when a Mars-sized body, sometimes called Theia, struck the early Earth roughly 4.5 billion years ago.

Facts
Object Type
Natural satellite 1
Diameter (km)
3474 1
Mass
7.35 x 10^22 kg 1
Orbital Distance
about 384,400 km from Earth on average 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Orbits

Sources
1. NASA Solar System Exploration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
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