Moon Basics & Facts
This is the only natural satellite of Earth
What is The Moon?
Scientists believe the Moon formed approximately this many billion years ago.
What is 4.5 billion years ago?
This is the name of the extremely thin atmosphere surrounding the Moon.
What is the exosphere?
This astronaut was the first human to walk on the Moon in 1969.
Who is Neil Armstrong?
This NASA program aims to return humans to the Moon and prepare for the first crewed mission to Mars.
What is the Artemis Program?
The Moon orbits Earth at approximately this speed in kilometers per hour.
What is 3,681 km/h?
This is the name of the Mars-sized body that collided with Earth to form the Moon.
What is Theia?
These are the two main types of regions found on the Moon's surface.
What are the Lunar Highlands and Lunar Maria?
This is approximately how many kilograms of lunar rock and soil the Apollo missions brought back to Earth.
What is 382 kg?
The Greeks worshipped this goddess of the Moon.
Who is Selene?
The Moon is this fraction of Earth's diameter.
What is 1/4th?
This is the thickest layer of the Moon, composed of dense minerals like olivine and pyroxene.
What is the mantle?
This layer of abrasive dust covers nearly the entire surface of the Moon.
What is Regolith?
The Apollo program was created as a result of this cold-war competition between the United States and the Soviet Union.
What is the Space Race?
NASA and its partners plan to build this orbital outpost to serve as a staging point for lunar and deep space missions.
What is the Lunar Gateway?
This is the distance between the Earth and the Moon in kilometers.
What is 384,400 km?
The Moon's crust is approximately this many kilometers thick.
What is 40-60 kilometers?
The Moon's exosphere is primarily made up of these three gases.
What are helium, neon and argon?
Accounting for modern inflation, the Apollo program cost approximately this many billion dollars.
What is $300-340 billion?
This rock band's album The Dark Side of the Moon is an example of the Moon's influence on music.
Who is Pink Floyd?
The Moon's mass is just this percentage of Earth's mass.
What is 1.2%?
The Moon's iron-rich core makes up around this percentage of its central radius.
What is 20%?
This process kicks up lunar dust into the exosphere during meteorite impacts.
What is impact vaporization?
In 1609, this scientist first used a telescope to reveal that the Moon's surface was rugged with mountains and pits.
Who is Galileo Galilei?
These private companies are now major players in lunar exploration, developing spacecraft to carry equipment and humans to the Moon.
What are SpaceX, Blue Origin and Astrobotic?