About
Moon, Earth's sole natural satellite and nearest large celestial body. Known since prehistoric times, it is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun. It is designated by the symbol ☽. Its name in English, like that of Earth, is of Germanic and Old English derivation.
The Moon is a spherical rocky body, probably with a small metallic core, revolving around Earth in a slightly eccentric orbit at a mean distance of about 384,000 km. Its equatorial radius is 1,738 km, and its shape is slightly flattened in such a way that it bulges a little in the direction of Earth.
Facts
It is Earth's only permanent natural satellite
It is the second densest satellite.
Its surface is home to mountains, huge craters and flat planes called ‘seas’ made of hardened lava.
It takes the moon 27.3 days to complete a revolution.
Its gravity is one-sixth than that of Earth.
It controls the tides.
There is water on the Moon!