FACTS ABOUT THE MOON
Added on: 28th Nov 2015
ONE DAY ON THE MOON LASTS 29.5 EARTH DAYS
THE MOBILE PHONE IN YOUR POCKET HAS MORE COMPUTING
POWER THAN THE COMPUTERS THAT FIRST PUT MEN ON THE
MOON DURING THE APOLLO 11 MISSION
THE REASON THAT A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IS SO
REMARKABLE IS THAT THE MOON APPEARS TO PERFECTLY
BLOCK THE SUN, THAT IS, THEY APPEAR TO BE
EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE IN THE SKY
THIS IS BECAUSE THE SUN JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE 400
TIMES BIGGER THAN THE MOON AND ALSO 400
TIMES FARTHER
THE MOON IS NOT PERFECTLY SPHERICAL. IT IS ACTUALLY
SHAPED LIKE AN EGG, BUT ONLY EVER SO SLIGHTLY.
THE LARGER END FACES TOWARDS EARTH.
ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE NEARLY CONSIDERED COMMON
KNOWLEDGE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MOON'S
ROTATION ALIGNS ALMOST PERFECTLY WITH ITS ROTATION
AROUND THE EARTH, WE ONLY EVER SEE ONE SIDE OF IT
(THE NEAR SIDE). THE FAR SIDE REMAINS HIDDEN
TECHNICALLY, HOWEVER, ONLY 41% OF THE MOON'S FAR
SIDE CANNOT BE SEEN FROM EARTH BECAUSE OF A PHENOMENON
KNOWN AS LIBRATION. BECAUSE THE MOON'S ORBIT IS
ELLIPTICAL, ITS VIEWING ANGLE FROM EARTH CHANGES EVER
SO SLIGHTLY THROUGHOUT ITS ORBIT, EXPOSING SOME
OF THE FAR SIDE.
ALTHOUGH THIS FACT IS NO LONGER AS IMPRESSIVE
CONSIDERING THAT PLUTO IS NOT A PLANET ANY LONGER
OUR MOON IS STILL BIGGER THAN THE FORMER PLANET
OF THE SIX AMERICAN FLAGS PLACED ON THE MOON,
ONLY FIVE ARE STILL STANDING (ONE WAS KNOCKED
OVER WHEN THE MOON LANDER TOOK OFF)
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