Moon

The Moon is Earth's natural satellite, and its stone-rich surface bears impact pits.[1] JPL lists the Moon's mean radius as 1,737.4 kilometres.[4]

History

NASA describes the Moon as having formed in a tremendous collision.[2]

Findings

The Moon's interior is layered into crust, mantle and core, as is Earth's.[2] Collisions release some of the particles that make up the Moon's exosphere.[2] Synchronous turning keeps one lunar hemisphere directed toward Earth.[1]

Current status

NASA counts over 105 robotic craft launched for lunar exploration.[1]

Name

USGS states that Luna is used for Earth's satellite in Italian, Latin, and Spanish.[3]

Sources

  1. Moon | NASA Science. Licence: US federal work, public domain (17 USC 105). Attribution: NASA.
  2. Earth's Moon | NASA Science. Licence: facts-only (Track B), no text or images reused. Attribution: NASA.
  3. Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature: Moon | USGS. Licence: US federal work, public domain (17 USC 105). Attribution: U.S. Geological Survey.
  4. Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Licence: facts-only (Track B), no text reused. Attribution: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Evidence as of 2026-11-01.