The Earth's Moon

The Earth's Moon Click on image for full size (37K JPEG) Image courtesy of NASA.

Even though the Moon has no liquid water, it does have special "seas" and "land" on its surface. There are also many interesting features such as craters, mountain ranges, and lava plains. The interior of the Moon is made up of different layers of rock, some solid and some molten like lava. By studying the Moon's surface and interior, geologists can learn about the Moon's geological history and its formation.

The footprints left behind by the Apollo astronauts will last for many thousands of years because there is no wind on the Moon. The Moon has no atmosphere, so there is no weather to erase the footprints. On the Earth, the atmosphere acts as a blanket, keeping the warmth of the Sun in even at night. Because there is no atmosphere on the Moon, the temperatures there are very hot during the day (100 ° C) and very cold at night (-173 ° C).

The Moon doesn't produce its own light, but looks bright because it reflects light from the Sun. Think of the Sun as a light bulb, and the Moon as a mirror, reflecting light from the light bulb. The lunar phase changes as the Moon orbits the Earth and different portions of its surface are illuminated by the Sun.