Facts About The Moon
Author: Erin - Little Star Shop
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered about that big, beautiful glowing Moon in the sky? The Moon has been the subject of myths, the driver of ocean tides, and the first place beyond Earth where humans ever set foot. All of humanity has lived out their lives underneath the same Moon, captivating humans for millennia.
The near side of the Moon as we see from Earth
Because we love all things cosmic here at Little Star Shop, we have put together the ultimate guide to the Moon.
1. How the Moon Was Born
The most widely accepted theory of how the Moon came to be sounds like a Hollywood sci-fi movie. It’s called the Giant Impact Hypothesis.
About 4.5 billion years ago, when Earth was just formed, a Mars-sized object named Theia collided with us. The collision was so violent that it blasted a massive amount of debris into Earth's orbit. Over time, gravity pulled that leftover rock and dust together, forming the Moon that we see today! Learn more about this event by NASA
Credit: Wikipedia- Artist's depiction of a collision between two planetary bodies.
2. Why Does the Moon Change Shape? (The Phases)
The Moon doesn’t actually produce its own light, instead it acts like a giant mirror reflecting the Sun's light. As the Moon orbits the Earth every 29.5 days, the angle of the sunlight hitting it changes from our perspective. This creates the 8 Lunar Phases:
|
Phase |
What It Looks Like |
|
New Moon |
Completely dark; the Moon is between Earth and the Sun. |
|
Waxing Crescent |
A thin, silver sliver on the right side. |
|
First Quarter |
Half of the Moon is illuminated (looks like a 'D'). |
|
Waxing Gibbous |
Mostly lit, growing bigger each night. |
|
Full Moon |
A completely illuminated circle. |
|
Waning Gibbous |
Mostly lit, but starting to shrink on the right. |
|
Third Quarter |
The opposite half is illuminated. |
|
Waning Crescent |
A final, thin sliver before disappearing back into a New Moon. |
Credit: Space.com Phases of the Moon
Fun Fact: "Waxing" means the illuminated part of the moon is growing, whilst "Waning" means it is shrinking.
3. The Dark Side of the Moon? Not Quite!
You’ve probably heard the phrase "the dark side of the Moon," made famous by Pink Floyd. However, science calls it the far side.
Because of a phenomenon called tidal locking, the Moon rotates on its own axis at the exact same speed that it orbits Earth. This means we only ever see one side of the Moon from Earth (about 59% of it over time). The "far side" gets just as much sunlight as the side we see; we just can't view it from our backyard.
Credit: Wikipedia. The Far side of the Moon As Imaged by the LRO
4. How the Moon Affects Earth
The Moon plays a crucial role in keeping Earth stable and habitable.
The Tides: The Moon’s gravity pulls on Earth’s oceans, creating a "bulge" of water. As Earth rotates through these bulges, we experience high and low tides twice a day.
Stabilising Our Axis: Without the Moon's gravitational stabilising effect, Earth might wobble wildly on its axis over millions of years. This would cause catastrophic, unpredictable changes in our climate.
5. Quick Moon Facts
The Moon is Drifting Away: Every year, the Moon moves about 3.8 centimetres further away from Earth. Don't worry, it won't leave us anytime soon!
Extreme Temperatures: Because the Moon has no atmosphere to trap heat, it experiences wild weather swings. In the sun, it can reach a scorching 120°C (250°F), and in the dark, it plummets to a freezing -130°C (-200°F).
Moonquakes: The Moon isn't entirely dead inside. Gravitational pulls from Earth cause "moonquakes" deep below the lunar surface.
Apollo Footprints: Because there is no wind or water on the Moon to erode them, the footprints left by Apollo astronauts in the late 1960s and 1970s are still perfectly preserved there today!
Credit: NASA. Buzz Aldrin took this iconic image of a boot print on the Moon during the Apollo 11 moonwalk on July 20, 1969.
6. Human Impact
Between 1969 and 1972, NASA’s historic Apollo program successfully landed humans on the Moon across six different missions, marking one of humanity's greatest technological achievements. During this golden age of space exploration, a total of 12 people (all American astronauts) set foot on the lunar surface, beginning with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during Apollo 11 and concluding with Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on Apollo 17. These space farers conducted vital scientific experiments, drove lunar rovers across the dusty terrain, and brought back hundreds of kilograms of moon rocks, leaving behind a legacy of footprints and flags that remains undisturbed to this day.
Credit: NASA-Neil Armstrong On The Moon- Apollo 11, 1969
Bring the Moon Home With Little Star Shop
The Moon reminds us that even in the darkest nights, there is always light to be found. If you want to bring a little bit of that celestial wonder into your own bedroom, check out our full collection of Moon themed products.
Until next time, keep looking up!