Moon Day

Moon Day

Moon Day is celebrated on July 20th. It is a day to celebrate the Moon and all that it represents. Moon Day is a day to appreciate the beauty of the Moon, and to reflect on its importance in our lives.

Moon Facts

• The Moon is a celestial body that orbits Earth. It orbits Earth at a distance of 384,400 kilometers.
• It is said to be a "natural satellite" because it is not a planet.
• The Moon has been known to man for thousands of years and has been the subject of many myths and legends. It is thought to have been formed when a large object, either a planet or an asteroid, collided with Earth.
• The Moon is about a quarter the size of Earth and has a diameter of 3,474 kilometers.
• The Moon is not very bright and reflects only about seven percent of the Sun's light.
• The Moon's surface is covered with craters, mountains, and valleys.
• The Moon has no atmosphere and no water.
• The Moon's temperature varies from -153 degrees Celsius to 127 degrees Celsius.
• The Moon's gravity is only about one-sixth of Earth's gravity.
• The Moon's day, or the time it takes to complete one orbit around Earth, is 29.5 Earth days long.
• The Moon's month, or the time it takes to complete one orbit around the Sun, is 27.3 Earth days long.
• The Moon's year is 365.24 days long.
• The Moon's phases are caused by the changing position of the Moon in relation to the Sun. The full moon occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. The new moon occurs when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun.
• The Moon's phases are also affected by the tilt of Earth's axis. The Moon's orbit is not perfectly circular. The Moon's orbit is elliptical, or oval-shaped.
• The point at which the Moon is closest to Earth is called the perigee, and the point at which the Moon is farthest from Earth is called the apogee.
• The Moon's orbit is inclined at an angle of about five degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. This inclination causes the Moon to appear to move north and south as it orbits Earth.
• The Moon's orbit is also slowly changing. The Moon's orbit is gradually getting larger. This is because the Moon's gravity is gradually slowing down Earth's rotation. The result is that the Moon is slowly moving away from Earth. The Moon will eventually stop orbiting Earth and will become a satellite of the Sun.
• The Moon's gravity also causes tides on Earth. Tides are the rise and fall of the level of the oceans. The Moon's gravity causes the oceans to bulge out in the direction of the Moon. This bulge is called a high tide. The Moon's gravity also causes the oceans to bulge out in the opposite direction. This bulge is called a low tide. The difference between the high tide and the low tide is called the tidal range. The tidal range is largest when the Moon is full or new. The tidal range is smallest when the Moon is at first or third quarter.

Celebrate Moon Day and share what you love about the Moon!