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"

Mercury Astronauts and a Redstone

Mercury Astronauts and a Redstone

04/04/1998

Astronaut Kicks Lunar Field Goal

Astronaut Kicks Lunar Field Goal

01/04/1998

Lunar Dust and Duct Tape

Lunar Dust and Duct Tape

27/03/1998

Asteroids

Asteroids

13/03/1998

Moon Shadow

Moon Shadow

12/03/1998

A Total Eclipse of the Sun

A Total Eclipse of the Sun

11/03/1998

Water Ice At The Lunar Poles

Water Ice At The Lunar Poles

06/03/1998

Solar Eclipse: A Composite View

Solar Eclipse: A Composite View

27/02/1998

Happy Birthday Jules Verne

Happy Birthday Jules Verne

06/02/1998

The Earth-Moon System

The Earth-Moon System

29/01/1998

Eugene Shoemaker: 1928-1997

Eugene Shoemaker: 1928-1997

15/01/1998

Destination: Moon

Destination: Moon

08/01/1998

The Barren Moon

The Barren Moon

03/01/1998

A Farewell to Tails

A Farewell to Tails

15/12/1997

Orion: The Big Picture

Orion: The Big Picture

01/12/1997

Mercury: A Cratered Inferno

Mercury: A Cratered Inferno

30/11/1997

Jupiter's Inner Moons

Jupiter's Inner Moons

27/11/1997

The Comet and the Galaxy

The Comet and the Galaxy

25/11/1997

Surveyor Hops

Surveyor Hops

22/11/1997

Jupiter: Moon, Ring, and Clouds

Jupiter: Moon, Ring, and Clouds

21/11/1997

The Leonid Meteor Shower

The Leonid Meteor Shower

16/11/1997

Surveyor Slides

Surveyor Slides

09/11/1997

The Ecliptic Plane

The Ecliptic Plane

27/09/1997

Moon Occults Saturn

Moon Occults Saturn

24/09/1997

Moon Over Mongolia

Moon Over Mongolia

16/09/1997

Luna 9: First Soft Lander

Luna 9: First Soft Lander

07/09/1997

Apollo 17: Boulder on the Moon

Apollo 17: Boulder on the Moon

05/09/1997

A Partial Eclipse in Southern Skies

A Partial Eclipse in Southern Skies

03/09/1997

A Fleeting Eclipse

A Fleeting Eclipse

27/08/1997

Help Aldebaran Map the Moon

Help Aldebaran Map the Moon

28/07/1997