Back to Glossary

The Moon

The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite—a rocky, cratered body about one‑quarter the diameter of Earth, orbiting at an average distance of approximately 384,400 km. It influences tides, stabilizes Earth’s axial tilt, and was formed about 4.5 billion years ago following a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized object.

Source: science.nasa.gov

APODs including "The Moon"

Milky Way and Planets Near Opposition

Milky Way and Planets Near Opposition

21/05/2016

Halo from Atacama

Halo from Atacama

18/05/2016

The SONG and the Hunter

The SONG and the Hunter

05/05/2016

Aurora over Sweden

Aurora over Sweden

03/05/2016

Contemplating the Sun

Contemplating the Sun

01/05/2016

Fermi's Gamma-ray Moon

Fermi's Gamma-ray Moon

29/04/2016

Mercury and Crescent Moon Set

Mercury and Crescent Moon Set

15/04/2016

Full Venus and Crescent Moon Rise

Full Venus and Crescent Moon Rise

14/04/2016

Alaskan Moondogs

Alaskan Moondogs

21/03/2016

Cheering a Total Solar Eclipse

Cheering a Total Solar Eclipse
Video

15/03/2016

Lunar Shadow Transit

Lunar Shadow Transit

11/03/2016

Dark Sun over Ternate

Dark Sun over Ternate

10/03/2016

Milky Way over the Pinnacles in Australia

Milky Way over the Pinnacles in Australia

17/02/2016

Yutu on a Little Planet

Yutu on a Little Planet

13/02/2016

Five Planets at Castell de Burriac

Five Planets at Castell de Burriac

06/02/2016

Find the Man in the Moon

Find the Man in the Moon

01/02/2016

Earthset from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Earthset from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

04/01/2016

Comet Catalina Emerges

Comet Catalina Emerges

07/12/2015

Enceladus: Ringside Water World

Enceladus: Ringside Water World

03/12/2015

A 212-Hour Exposure of Orion

A 212-Hour Exposure of Orion

23/11/2015

Leonids Over Monument Valley

Leonids Over Monument Valley

15/11/2015

A Quadruple Sky Over Great Salt Lake

A Quadruple Sky Over Great Salt Lake

08/11/2015

Charon and the Small Moons of Pluto

Charon and the Small Moons of Pluto

26/10/2015

A Gegenschein Lunar Eclipse

A Gegenschein Lunar Eclipse

14/10/2015

The Moon Entering Earth's Shadow

The Moon Entering Earth's Shadow

09/10/2015

La Palma Eclipse Sequence

La Palma Eclipse Sequence

07/10/2015

Eclipsed in Southern Skies

Eclipsed in Southern Skies

01/10/2015

Total Lunar Eclipse over Waterton Lake

Total Lunar Eclipse over Waterton Lake

28/09/2015

Tonight: A Supermoon Lunar Eclipse

Tonight: A Supermoon Lunar Eclipse
Video

27/09/2015

A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas

A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas

13/09/2015