Solar System Exploration: Solar System 101: Homework Helper

HOMEWORK HELPER

Our Nearest Neighbor
Our moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate, and creating a tidal rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years. The Moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth and the debris formed into the most prominent feature in our night sky.

Extreme Facts

A Steady Hand The moon is more than a pretty accessory in our night sky. It stabilizes Earth's wobble, which led to a more stable climate and probably helped life evolve. The moon also guides the ebb and flow of Earth's oceans.

Free Moon Astronauts planted six American flags on the Moon, but that doesn't mean the United States owns it. An international law written in 1967 prevents any single nation from owning planets, stars or any other natural objects in space.

Flip Side Humans have studied the moon for thousands of years, but we didn't see its far side until a spacecraft got there in 1959. That's because the moon rotates once on its axis in about the same time it orbits Earth. That means the same side faces Earth at all times.

Cold Storage Regions of the moon's poles are extremely cold: about -457.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-272 degrees Celsius) cold. This is due to the fact that sections of the poles never see the light of day -- literally. And it is believed that there could be water ice held in these permanently shadowed regions.

Night Light The moon is the brightest and largest feature in the night sky.

Super Moon Once a year the full moon is 14% larger than usual -- well, actually it looks larger because it is closer than usual to the Earth. The moon orbits the Earth in an off-centered and egg shaped orbit called an ellipse. The closest point to the Earth is called "Perigee" and the farthest point is called "Apogee." When the moon is at perigee and full this results in what is known as a "Super Perigee Moon."

Foothold The moon is the only place beside the Earth where humans have set foot.

Cheese? The moon is not made of cheese, but is a terrestrial body made of rocks and soil. And we have lunar-surface samples to prove it: The astronauts of the Apollo Program (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) brought back a total of 382 kg (842 pounds) of lunar samples to Earth for study -- and we are still studying them.

A Steady Hand The moon is more than a pretty accessory in our night sky. It stabilizes Earth's wobble, which led to a more stable climate and probably helped life evolve. The moon also guides the ebb and flow of Earth's oceans.

Free Moon Astronauts planted six American flags on the Moon, but that doesn't mean the United States owns it. An international law written in 1967 prevents any single nation from owning planets, stars or any other natural objects in space.

Flip Side Humans have studied the moon for thousands of years, but we didn't see its far side until a spacecraft got there in 1959. That's because the moon rotates once on its axis in about the same time it orbits Earth. That means the same side faces Earth at all times.

Cold Storage Regions of the moon's poles are extremely cold: about -457.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-272 degrees Celsius) cold. This is due to the fact that sections of the poles never see the light of day -- literally. And it is believed that there could be water ice held in these permanently shadowed regions.

Night Light The moon is the brightest and largest feature in the night sky.

Super Moon Once a year the full moon is 14% larger than usual -- well, actually it looks larger because it is closer than usual to the Earth. The moon orbits the Earth in an off-centered and egg shaped orbit called an ellipse. The closest point to the Earth is called "Perigee" and the farthest point is called "Apogee." When the moon is at perigee and full this results in what is known as a "Super Perigee Moon."

Foothold The moon is the only place beside the Earth where humans have set foot.

Cheese? The moon is not made of cheese, but is a terrestrial body made of rocks and soil. And we have lunar-surface samples to prove it: The astronauts of the Apollo Program (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) brought back a total of 382 kg (842 pounds) of lunar samples to Earth for study -- and we are still studying them.