1. Footprints left on the Moon by astronauts could remain undisturbed for centuries. Because there is no liquid water and no atmosphere on the Moon, there is no weather to disturb the footprints or other formations on the surface.

2. On September 14, 1959, the USSR's Luna 2 became the first artificial object to strike the Moon. Ironically, it landed east of the Moon's Mare Serentitatis (Sea of Serenity). Upon impact, the spacecraft scattered its cargo of Soviet emblems around the crash site.

3. Ancient Moon-watchers thought the dark areas on the satellite's surface were oceans--hence the word used for those areas, mare (Latin for "sea"). They believed the lighter areas were continents.

4. The Moon is the main cause for ocean tides. The gravitational attraction of the Moon and the Sun on the Earth's oceans causes the ocean tides to move in and out (from high to low). Because the Moon is nearer to Earth than the Sun is, it has a bigger effect on the Earth's oceans.

5. The Moon's diameter is about 3,480 km (about 2,160 mi)--about one-fourth of the Earth's diameter.

6. A harvest moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox (that is, the beginning of autumn). It is called the harvest moon because it occurs during harvest season in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.

7. Each manned landing on the Moon--Apollo Program missions 11, 12, and 14 to 17--brought rock and soil samples back to Earth (the Moon is not made of cheese, as it turns out). The total amount of Moon rock and soil brought back to Earth is 384 kg (847 lb).

8. Temperatures on the surface of the Moon range from 127°C (261°F) to -173°C (-279°F). That's a difference of more than 500° Fahrenheit! Measurements indicate that the internal temperature of the Moon is as high as 1600°C (2912°F).

9. The Moon is about 4.6 billion years old--about the same age as Earth.

10. We always see the same side of the Moon from Earth because the Moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it rotates around Earth. The world first saw images of the far side of the Moon in October 1959, when photographs made by the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft were released.

11. According to modern convention, a "blue moon" is the second full moon in a calendar month. However, researchers for Sky and Telescope Magazine have recently determined that the Maine Farmers' Almanac originally established a different definition of the term in 1937. According to the Maine almanac, a blue moon occurs when a given season has four full moons instead of the usual three. In this case, the third full moon of the season is considered the "blue" moon. Whichever interpretation of the term is used, the reason it is called a "blue moon" is odd logic: a) the Moon appears blue in color very rarely, b) two full moons in one month (or four in one season) is also a rare phenomenon, so, c) when a second full moon occurs in a single month (or when four occur in a single season), we have what is known as a "blue moon."


Taken from MSN Encarta.

I’m not quite sure about part of number 8. harish

“Measurements indicate that the internal temperature of the Moon is as high as 1600°C (2912°F)”

The moon is known to be tectonically dead but Iron melts at ca. 1535 deg. C! A temperature of 1600 deg. C when combined with the high pressures and shear rates underground would suggest sluggish tectonic activity would it not?

I have a silly moon question...

If it is a full moon in Sydney, is it a full moon everywhere on Earth?

Harish, I loved all those facts!

Ozzz, if that's a silly question, count me in as being silly as well. 'Cause I don't know, either. But, it's an excellent question. Does anyone know?

If it is a full moon in Australia, it will be daylight in the UK and US, but yes the full moons are all within the same 24 hour period, as can be seen with Easter being celebrated on the same day worldwide.

Easter being the Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

Easter Sunday can be calculated in Excel using this formula.
=FLOOR(DAY(MINUTE(TheYear/38)/2+56)&"/5/"&TheYear,7)-34

There you go, Linda, now we both know!

Thanks, ASA, for clearing that up.

And a 'new moon' is no moon at all. We can't see it in this phase.

The origin of someone said to "believe the moon is made of green cheese" comes the new moon's resemblance to a wheel of freshly made or "green" cheese. "Green" has meant inexperienced or new and fresh for a long time, e.g., "greenhorn" for a raw beginner (after the new "green" horns of an moose of any other horned ungulate).

It's not easy bein' green. Kermit the Frog

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