Lesser-Known Facts About the Moon

RIVANSHI RAKHRAI

The Moon makes Earth more livable by reducing our planet's wobble on its axis, resulting in a generally stable climate.

The Moon's Role in Earth's Stability

The Moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth several billion years ago.

Origin of the Moon

The Moon shares a name with all moons since no one knew there were other moons until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons circling Jupiter in 1610.

Naming of Moons

In Latin, the Moon was known as Luna, which is now the primary adjective for anything Moon-related: Lunar.

Lunar Terminology

The Moon's radius, at around 1,080 miles (1,740 km), is less than one-third of Earth's width.

Moon's Size

The Moon had active volcanoes long ago, but today they are all dormant and have not erupted for millions of years.

Moon's Volcanic Activity

The atmosphere surrounding the Moon is extremely thin and weak, offering no defense against the Sun's radiation or meteoroids.

Moon's Atmosphere

The Moon's surface temperature rises to around 127 degrees Celsius under the Sun and falls to -173 degrees Celsius during darkness.

Moon's Temperature Extremes