Moon: The Whole Story
Only one moon orbits Earth; it is a stony, cratered body that is about one-quarter the size of Earth and is located on average 238,855 miles distant. The Moon travels a 27-day orbit around our planet and is typically visible with the unaided eye. Probably one of the first images that come to mind when you think of the night sky is the Moon "glowing" in the shadows. The Moon has always had a special position in both our daily lives and our imaginations. Being interested is nothing to be shocked about. Most nights, it is possible to see the Moon, the only naturally occurring satellite of Earth. What makes the Moonglow? The Moon doesn't emit any light of its own. It only acts as a reflector of sunlight. Why does it seem like the Moon is changing shape? When viewed from Earth, the Moon may appear to change shape every night, going from a tiny sliver to a half moon to a full moon and back again. Actually, from Earth, we can see different areas of the Moon being l...