Index / Space Objects / The Moon
Space Objects
The Moon
Earth’s natural satellite
Born 4.5 billion years ago from a Mars-sized impact with the early Earth. The Moon has been receding from us at 3.8 cm per year ever since, and it stabilises our axial tilt — and therefore our climate.
Key specifications
Diameter
3,474 km (27% ⊕)
Distance
~384,400 km
Synodic period
29.5 d
Tidal lock
Always same face
Sheet 002 · Plate 1 of 1 · 1:1 infographic
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