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We have all seen the moon lighting up the night sky. It is our
closest neighbor, and because of its nearness, the moon appears
quite large, but it is really much smaller than most of the solar
system's planets. It is about ¼ the size of Earth. The moon orbits
Earth and is not a planet. The moon's rotation lasts 29.5 days, and
during that time it goes through a series of visual phases;
sometimes it appears to be round and full, and other times it is not
much more than a sliver. The different phases of the moon are caused
by the shadow that Earth throws across the moon's surface. Only one
side of the moon ever faces Earth. We call the other side of the
moon “the far side” and we never, ever see it here on Earth!
Things to remember about the moon:
- The moon is our closet neighbor.
- The moon is not a planet.
- The moon is ¼ the size of Earth.
- The moon orbits the earth in 29.5 days.
- Only one side of the moon ever faces Earth.
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