FACTS ABOUT THE MOON

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)