Moon

E4619

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, a rocky celestial body that orbits our planet and significantly influences tides, calendars, and human culture.

Observed surface forms (5)

Surface form Occurrences
the Moon 4
the moon 2
Earth's Moon 1
Earth’s Moon 1
The Moon 1

Statements (75)

Predicate Object
instanceOf astronomical object
celestial body
natural satellite
rocky body
age about 4.5 billion years
albedo 0.12
apparentMagnitudeAtFull about −12.7
averageAngularDiameterFromEarth about 0.5 degrees
averageDistanceFromSun about 1 AU (via Earth’s orbit)
averageOrbitalSpeed 1.022 km/s
belongsTo Solar System
causes lunar eclipses
solar eclipses
culturalSignificance important in literature
important in mythology
important in religion
diameter 3474.8 km
eccentricity 0.0549
equatorialCircumference 10921 km
escapeVelocity 2.38 km/s
firstHumanLandingDate 1969-07-20
firstHumanLandingMission Apollo 11
firstHumansOnSurface Buzz Aldrin
Neil A. Armstrong
surface form: Neil Armstrong
firstSuccessfulFlybyBy Luna 1
firstSuccessfulImpactBy Luna 2
firstSuccessfulOrbiter Luna 10
formationHypothesis giant impact hypothesis
governingTreaty Moon Agreement (limited signatories)
Outer Space Treaty
hasAtmosphereType extremely tenuous exosphere
hasBeenVisitedByHumans true
hasExplorationProgram Apollo program
hasNaturalResources helium-3 (trace amounts)
water ice in polar regions
hasPhaseCycle lunar phases
inclinationToEarthEquator 18.3–28.6 degrees
inclinationToEcliptic 5.145 degrees
influences Earth’s axial stability
many human calendars
ocean tides on Earth
isAlsoCalled Moon
surface form: Earth’s Moon

Luna
isOnlyNaturalSatelliteOf Earth
isSatelliteOf Earth
mass 7.342×10^22 kg
massRelativeToEarth 0.0123 Earth masses
meanDensity 3.344 g/cm³
meanOrbitalDistanceFromEarth 384400 km
meanRadius 1737.4 km
numberOfCrewedLandings 6
orbitalPeriod 27.321661 days
orbits Earth
primaryConstituents aluminum
calcium
iron
magnesium
oxygen (in minerals)
silicon
rotationalState tidally locked to Earth
rotationPeriod 27.321661 days
semiMajorAxis 384399 km
surfaceArea 3.793×10^7 km²
surfaceFeatures highlands
impact craters
lunar maria
mountain ranges
rilles
surfaceGravity 1.62 m/s²
surfaceTemperatureRange about −173 to +127 °C
synodicPeriod 29.53059 days
usedIn lunar calendars
lunisolar calendars
visibleFrom Earth with naked eye
volume 2.1958×10^10 km³

Referenced by (52)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

subject surface form: SLIM