The Moon: Earth’s Constant Companion

The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite, orbiting about 238,900 miles away.
It’s roughly one-quarter the size of Earth, with a diameter of 2,159 miles.
The Moon’s gravity creates Earth’s ocean tides.
It always shows the same face to Earth due to synchronous rotation.
The lunar surface is covered in craters, mountains, and plains called “maria.”
The Moon has no atmosphere, weather, or liquid water on its surface.
Humans first set foot on the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth at about 1.5 inches per year.
Temperatures range from −280°F at night to 260°F in daylight.
Future missions aim to establish permanent human bases on the Moon.