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
Diameter (km) Orbital Distanceabout 384,400 km from Earth on average 1 Connections
Associated With
Source NASA Solar System Exploration
The Moon has a much lower escape velocity than Earth
Source NASA Solar System Exploration
Source NASA Solar System Exploration
The Moon has its own sphere of influence within the Earth-Moon system
Orbits
Source NASA Solar System Exploration
Sources
1. NASA Solar System Exploration
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationMoon Facts, Size and Distance section
The Moon is an average of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) away.
Moon Facts, Formation section
The Moon likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth several billion years ago.
Moon Facts, Orbit and Rotation section, synchronous rotation sentence
The Moon is rotating at the same rate that it revolves around Earth (called synchronous rotation), so the same hemisphere faces Earth all the time.
Moon Facts, Size and Distance section, radius sentence
With a radius of about 1,080 miles (1,740 kilometers), the Moon is less than a third of the width of Earth.
Moon Facts, Orbit and Rotation section, orbit period sentence
The Moon makes a complete orbit around Earth in 27 Earth days and rotates or spins at that same rate, or in that same amount of time.
Moon Facts, Atmosphere section, thin atmosphere sentence
The Moon has a very thin and weak atmosphere.
Moon Facts, Surface section, gravity sentence
While you were there, you'd notice that the gravity on the surface of the Moon is one-sixth of Earth's, which is why in footage of moonwalks, astronauts appear to almost bounce across the surface.
Entity description, the-moon catalogue classification
Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest moon in the solar system.
- Orbits: Earth
Associated With: Earth, Earth Facts, Moons section
Earth is the only planet in our solar system with only one moon.
Associated With: Pluto, Pluto Facts, Structure section, size comparison sentence
Pluto is about two-thirds the diameter of Earth's Moon
Associated With: Europa, Europa page, Description section, size comparison sentence
Europa is about the size of Earth's moon, with a diameter of 3,130 kilometers (1.945 miles).
View the Source Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
The Moon (Wikipedia)
In Group: Moons of Earth and Mars, Lead sentenceQuote, In Group: Moons of Earth and Mars, Lead sentence
The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth.
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