Did you know that besides Earth, the only place humans have visited in space is the Moon? The Moon isn’t a planet; it’s called a natural satellite because it travels around Earth, just like Earth travels around the Sun. Sometimes the Moon is closer to us, and other times it’s farther away because its path isn’t a perfect circle.
The Moon is made of metal and rock, similar to Earth and other planets like Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Its surface is covered with a layer of lunar soil, which is like very fine sand or clay. Gravity is the force that keeps us on the ground. On the Moon, gravity is much weaker than on Earth. This means you would weigh less on the Moon. For example, if you weigh 66 pounds on Earth, you would only weigh 11 pounds on the Moon! That’s why astronauts seem to bounce when they walk on the Moon.
Earth is much larger than the Moon. Earth is about 8,000 miles across, while the Moon is only about 2,000 miles across, which is one-fourth the size of Earth. The distance from Earth to the Moon is about 239,000 miles. It takes astronauts about three days to travel there. In comparison, the Sun is about 93 million miles away from Earth!
The first person to walk on the Moon was Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969. Buzz Aldrin was with him, and he stepped onto the Moon about 20 minutes later. NASA, the United States space program, organized several Moon landings, with the last one happening in 1972.
The Moon has mountains, but it’s mostly made of rock and dust. Meteorites, which are rocks from space, have created craters on its surface. Unlike Earth, the Moon doesn’t have weather like rain or wind, so its surface doesn’t change much. Earth, on the other hand, has water, mountains, deserts, and forests, and its weather can change the land.
Earth has an atmosphere made of gases like oxygen, which helps keep us warm and safe from harmful rays. The Moon doesn’t have an atmosphere, so temperatures can be extremely hot or cold, making it impossible for humans to live there. There’s also no water or air on the Moon.
It takes Earth about 365 days, or one year, to orbit the Sun. The Moon takes about one month to orbit Earth. As it orbits, the Moon also spins on its axis, which is an imaginary line from the North Pole to the South Pole. Earth spins once every 24 hours, but the Moon takes about 27 days to complete one spin.
The Moon causes tides in our oceans. Tides are when the ocean water rises and falls, creating deep and shallow areas near the shore. This happens because of the Moon’s gravitational pull. Depending on where you are and the positions of the Earth and Moon, the Moon might look bigger or smaller. Sometimes you see a tiny sliver, and other times you see a Full Moon, but the Moon is always round.
Have you noticed how the Moon looks different each night? This is because of the Sun’s light reflecting off the Moon’s surface. The part of the Moon that is lit up is the side facing the Sun. Without the Sun, we wouldn’t see the Moon at all. These changes are called Moon phases.
In ancient times, people used the Moon’s phases to help them travel at night and keep track of time. Next time you look at the night sky, notice how the Moon lights it up. Maybe one day, you’ll get to walk or bounce on the Moon too!
Moon Phase Diary: For one month, keep a Moon Phase Diary. Each night, look at the Moon and draw what you see. Is it a New Moon, a Full Moon, or something in between? Write down the date and your observations. At the end of the month, compare your drawings to see how the Moon changes over time. Discuss with your family or friends why these changes happen.
Gravity Experiment: Try a simple experiment to understand gravity. Drop a small ball and a feather from the same height at the same time. Which one hits the ground first? Now imagine doing this on the Moon, where gravity is weaker. Discuss how this might affect how things move on the Moon compared to Earth.
Create Your Own Craters: Use a tray filled with flour or sand to represent the Moon’s surface. Drop small rocks or marbles from different heights to create craters. Observe the size and shape of the craters. Discuss how meteorites create craters on the Moon and why they stay the same over time.
**Moon and its Phases**
Besides Earth, the only other place in the Universe that people have visited is the Moon. The Moon is not classified as a planet; instead, it is called a natural satellite because it orbits the Earth, just like the Earth orbits the Sun. Sometimes the Moon is farther away from Earth than at other times because it doesn’t orbit in a perfect circle.
The Moon is made of metal and rock, similar to Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Its outer shell, or crust, is covered by lunar soil, which consists of fine rock particles, akin to sand or clay. Gravity is the force that pulls objects together and keeps everything on Earth from floating away. You weigh more on Earth than you would on the Moon because the pull of gravity is much stronger on Earth. For example, if you weigh 66 pounds on Earth, you would only weigh 11 pounds on the Moon. Because the pull of gravity is much less on the Moon, astronauts bounce as they walk on its surface.
Earth is larger than the Moon, measuring about 8,000 miles across, while the Moon is only about 2,000 miles across, or one-fourth that size. This distance is roughly equivalent to traveling from Utah to New York. The distance from the Earth to the Sun is about 93 million miles. Although the Sun may seem close because we can feel its warmth, it is actually very far away. If it were possible to travel to the Sun by plane, it would take approximately 19 years to get there! The distance from the Earth to the Moon is about 239,000 miles, and it takes astronauts about three days to reach it.
Astronauts have landed on the Moon several times, with the first person to walk on its surface being Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969. The pilot of that mission was Buzz Aldrin, who stepped onto the Moon about 20 minutes after Armstrong. Before these two astronauts walked on the Moon, spacecraft had orbited both the Moon and the Earth, but none had ever landed. NASA, the space program for the United States, organized five more Moon landings after Neil Armstrong’s mission, with the last one occurring on December 11, 1972.
Although there are some mountains on the Moon, it is primarily composed of rock and dust. Meteorites, or rocks that have fallen from space, have created craters on the Moon. However, the surface does not change much because there is no rain, snow, or wind like there is on Earth. In contrast, Earth is mostly covered in water and has various types of landforms, such as mountains, deserts, ice, and forests. The weather on Earth includes wind, rain, and snow, which can cause surface changes.
The atmosphere surrounds Earth and is made up of different gases, including oxygen. It protects life on Earth by trapping heat from the Sun and absorbing harmful rays, regulating the temperature so that Earth’s surface doesn’t become extremely hot or cold. Earth can support living organisms like plants and animals due to its atmosphere and the presence of water. Unlike Earth, the Moon has no atmosphere, resulting in extreme temperatures that can exceed 250 degrees above or below zero, making it impossible for humans to live there. There is also no water or air on the Moon.
It takes about 365 days, or one year, for Earth to orbit the Sun, while the Moon takes about one month to orbit Earth. The Moon also spins on its axis as it orbits Earth. An axis is an imaginary line from the North Pole to the South Pole. Earth takes about 24 hours, or one day, to spin on its axis, but the Moon spins very slowly, taking about 27 days for one complete rotation.
Did you know that the Moon causes the tides in our oceans? Tides are when the water in the ocean rises and falls, creating deep and shallow areas near the shore. During low tides, you may see small creatures, shells, and their habitats. The ocean tides rise due to the gravitational pull of the Moon. Depending on the positions of the Earth, the Moon, and your location, the Moon may appear larger or smaller. Sometimes you can only see a small sliver, while other times you can see a Full Moon. However, the shape of the Moon remains the same; it is always round.
Have you ever wondered why it looks different from night to night? What you see when you look up at the night sky is actually the Sun reflecting off the Moon’s surface. The illuminated part of the Moon is the side that the Sun is shining on. Without the Sun, you wouldn’t be able to see the Moon at all. Most nights, when you look up at the Moon, you can only see part of it. This is called a Moon phase.
There are different phases of the Moon. The first phase is called a New Moon, which occurs when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth. The far side of the Moon is in full sunlight, but the side facing you is dark and not visible. The next phase is called a Waxing Crescent Moon, which happens when a thin sliver of the Moon is visible and appears to grow larger in the sky. A Crescent Moon rises during the day and sets before midnight.
Next comes the First Quarter Moon, often referred to as the “Half Moon.” During this phase, we can see half of the Moon while the other half is dark. Following this is the Waxing Gibbous phase, which is less than a Full Moon but more than half of it is visible. The Waxing Gibbous is followed by a Full Moon, which occurs when the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are aligned. During this phase, the Moon is more illuminated than in any other phase, lighting up the night sky and making things more visible at night on Earth.
A Waning Gibbous comes next, which is when the Moon appears to be getting smaller. This Moon may glow red when it is near the horizon. The Third Quarter Moon is similar to the First Quarter Moon, as it represents the last or third quarter of the Moon’s orbit around Earth. A Waning Crescent Moon follows, leading back to another New Moon, and then the phases begin all over again.
In ancient times, people used the Moon and its phases to help them travel at night and keep track of time. The next time you look at the night sky, notice how the sky lights up during a Full Moon. Look for the Moon during the daytime as well, and see if there are times when it disappears completely. Maybe one day, you’ll be fortunate enough to walk or bounce on the Moon!
