The Moon

The Moon:

The Moon is the Earth's only natural satellite. Compared to •satellites of other planets, it is very large in relation to its parent planet. It is a quarter of the Earth's diameter measuring 3476 Km. Its distance from the Earth is 384,405 km. It orbits the Earth once a month, keeping the same face turned towards Earth as it does so. Its surface is pitted with craters caused by Meteorites. Moon is the same age as the Earth about 4,600 million years. The moon is a not a self - luminous body. The Earth and Moon travel around a common center of gravity in space.

Alifye - The Solar System - The Moon

The result is that the Earth weaves slightly from side to side in its elliptical path round the Sun with the Moon orbiting it once a month. As the Moon orbits the Earth different amount of its sunlight surface are visible from the Earth. This produces the cycle known as 'Phases of the Moon. We can see the full - Moon and no- Moon once in a month. and for rest of the days it appears in its phases. The average daily delay in Moon - rise and Moon - set is about 50 minutes. The Moon is lacking \eater and it has no atmosphere. A very light 'rain' of cosmic dust continually falls._ the glare of the Sun. lunar rocks reach a temperature of 110 C, More than the boiling point of water. But in shadows the temperature goes down to less than --- l 00 C.