The Moon
From lighting up our skies to maintaining a geological record of our solar system’s history, Earth’s closest celestial neighbor plays a pivotal role in the study of our planet and our solar system.
Overview
The Moon makes Earth more livable by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate. It also causes tides, creating a rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years.
The Moon rotates exactly once each time it orbits our planet.
Observers on Earth can track the Moon's motion in space (relative to Earth and the Sun) through moon phases, supermoons and eclipses.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ImagE:
Far Side of the Moon
The Moon's far side gets as much sunlight as its near side.
Like Earth, the Moon has a day side and a night side, which change as the Moon rotates. The Sun always illuminates half of the Moon while the other half remains dark.
NASA’s LRO mission has used its seven science instruments to map the entire lunar surface, including the Moon's near and far sides, down to a scale of one meter.
Explore the Moon
Supermoons
The Moon's orbit isn't a perfect circle. When the Moon is at its closest point to Earth during a full moon phase, that's a "supermoon".
Lunar Eclipses
During a lunar eclipse, the Sun, Earth and Moon align, casting our planet's shadow on the lunar surface.
Top Questions about Earth's Moon
Why can I see the Moon during the day? And other frequently asked questions about our Moon.
Uncovering Lunar Water
There’s water on the Moon. Follow the thread of discoveries that led up to the confirmation of its presence in 2020.
The Moon's Origin Story
Several theories vie for dominance but most agree on one thing — Earth's Moon was born from destruction.
Earth and Tides
As distant as the Moon may seem, its gravitational pull on Earth plays a huge role in the formation of tides.
Moon Phases 2024
This visualization shows the Moon's phase at hourly intervals throughout 2024, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere.
About Moon Phases
