In geophysical terms, the Moon is a planetary-mass object or satellite planet. Its mass is 1.2% that of the Earth, and its diameter is 3,474 km (2,159 mi), roughly one-quarter of Earth's (about as …

2 days ago · Moon, Earth’s sole natural satellite and nearest celestial body. Known since prehistoric times, it is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun. Its name in English, like that …

Jun 25, 2025 · The Earth and Moon are tidally locked. Their rotations are so in sync we only see one side of the Moon. Humans didn't see the lunar far side until a Soviet spacecraft flew past …

We see the full moon when the sun is directly behind us, illuminating a full hemisphere of the moon when it is directly in front of us.

Sep 30, 2025 · China's Chang'e 6 mission returned the first-ever far-side lunar samples, revealing new insights into the moon's interior.

What is the moon made of, and how did it form? Learn about the moon's violent origins, how its phases shaped the earliest calendars, and how humans first explored Earth's only natural …

Sep 7, 2023 · How big is the Moon? The Moon is Earth’s only permanent natural satellite, and it’s the fifth-largest satellite in our solar system. The Moon’s diameter is approximately 2,160 miles …

Sep 18, 2025 · The eight lunar phases are, in order: new Moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full Moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent. The cycle …

A lunar phase or Moon phase is the apparent shape of the Moon 's day and night phases of the lunar day as viewed from afar. Because the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, the cycle of …

4 days ago · Does Earth have 2 moons? Not quite. What to know about asteroid 2025 PN7 Earth may only have one true moon, but astronomers have also discovered a number of so-called …