120 Moon Facts That Are Out of This World!

The Moon has fascinated humans for millennia. From ancient myths and calendars to high-tech missions and spacewalks, our only natural satellite has played an enormous role in shaping life, science, and culture on Earth. Whether you’re a student exploring astronomy or simply curious about what lights up our night sky, this list brings together 120 fascinating facts about the Moon.

Covering lunar science, tides, missions, mythology, and more, these facts are perfect for curious readers of all ages who want to learn everything there is to know about the Moon. Let’s take a closer look at one of the most mysterious and influential objects in our sky.

Moon Basics Facts

1. The Moon is about 1/4 the size of Earth in diameter.
2. It’s located an average of 238,855 miles (384,400 km) from Earth.
3. Earth’s Moon is the fifth largest moon in the solar system.
4. The Moon has no atmosphere, which means no sound and no weather.
5. Temperatures range from +260°F (127°C) in sunlight to -280°F (-173°C) in shadow.
6. The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth—about 1.5 inches per year.
7. One day on the Moon (sunrise to sunrise) lasts about 29.5 Earth days.
8. The same side of the Moon always faces Earth—this is called tidal locking.
9. The “far side” of the Moon is often incorrectly called the “dark side.”
10. The Moon has weaker gravity—about 1/6th of Earth’s gravity.
11. You’d weigh much less on the Moon. A 120-pound person would weigh only 20 pounds.
12. The Moon likely formed from a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body.
13. This theory is called the Giant Impact Hypothesis or Theia theory.
14. The Moon has moonquakes, triggered by tidal forces and meteoroid impacts.
15. There are three types of moonquakes: deep, shallow, and thermal.
16. The Moon has a thin crust, a silicate mantle, and a small iron-rich core.
17. Unlike Earth, the Moon has no liquid water on its surface—only ice in shadowed craters.
18. The Moon has mountains, valleys, and lava plains called maria.
19. The word “maria” means “seas” in Latin, though they are solidified lava plains.
20. The Moon has no magnetic field today, but it once had one billions of years ago.

Phases, Tides and Orbit Facts

21. The Moon goes through eight phases in a lunar cycle.
22. These include: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent.
23. One full lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days—a lunar month.
24. Tides on Earth are caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the Moon.
25. High and low tides occur roughly every 12 hours.
26. Spring tides happen during full and new moons when the Sun and Moon align.
27. Neap tides occur during quarter moons, when the gravitational forces are less aligned.
28. A Blue Moon is the second full moon in a single calendar month.
29. A Blood Moon refers to a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon turns reddish.
30. A Supermoon occurs when the full Moon is closest to Earth in its orbit.
31. The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical path—not a perfect circle.
32. The Moon’s perigee is the point closest to Earth; apogee is farthest.
33. The Moon moves at about 2,300 miles per hour (3,700 km/h) in its orbit.
34. The Moon’s gravitational effects help stabilize Earth’s axial tilt.
35. Without the Moon, Earth’s climate could be much more chaotic.
36. Lunar eclipses happen when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon.
37. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun.
38. Total solar eclipses are only possible due to the Moon and Sun appearing similar in size.
39. The Moon’s distance affects the type of solar eclipse: total, partial, or annular.
40. The next total lunar eclipse visible in the U.S. will occur on March 13, 2025.

Moon Missions and Exploration Facts

41. The Moon is the only celestial body visited by humans.
42. The first successful Moon landing was Apollo 11 in 1969.
43. Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon.
44. Buzz Aldrin followed shortly after; Michael Collins stayed in lunar orbit.
45. A total of 12 astronauts walked on the Moon from 1969 to 1972.
46. The last Moon mission was Apollo 17 in December 1972.
47. The U.S. is the only country to have sent humans to the Moon.
48. The Soviet Union’s Luna missions were the first to reach the Moon robotically.
49. China’s Chang’e program has successfully landed robotic landers on the Moon.
50. India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission landed on the lunar south pole in 2023.
51. NASA plans to return astronauts to the Moon with the Artemis program.
52. Artemis I was an uncrewed test flight around the Moon in 2022.
53. Artemis III aims to land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.
54. The Moon is being explored for future bases and long-term science outposts.
55. Moon rocks brought back by Apollo missions weigh about 842 pounds (382 kg) in total.
56. These samples are studied to learn about early solar system history.
57. Lunar soil is called regolith and is very fine and clingy.
58. The Moon has been mapped in incredible detail by orbiters like LRO.
59. China, India, Russia, and private companies are planning future Moon landings.
60. There’s potential for mining helium-3 on the Moon—a rare isotope on Earth.
61. Some future concepts propose 3D printing structures from lunar regolith.
62. Moon dust is sharp and abrasive—it wore down astronauts’ suits.
63. Robotic landers can now explore permanently shadowed craters for water ice.
64. In 2020, NASA confirmed water molecules in sunlit areas of the Moon.
65. Japan’s SLIM lander made a pinpoint landing in 2024.
66. Russia’s Luna 25 crashed in 2023, marking a failed return to lunar exploration.
67. Commercial moon landers are now part of NASA’s CLPS program.
68. Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship is a major contender for lunar missions.
69. Scientists use lunar laser retroreflectors left by Apollo to measure distance.
70. They bounce lasers off the Moon to track its drift from Earth.

Cultural, Historical and Mythical Facts Facts

71. Many ancient cultures worshipped or personified the Moon.
72. The Moon has inspired myths, poems, and songs for millennia.
73. In Roman mythology, the Moon goddess was Luna.
74. In Greek mythology, she was Selene or Artemis.
75. Native American tribes used Moon phases to track time and farming.
76. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, based on the Moon’s phases.
77. The word “lunatic” comes from the belief that the full moon causes madness.
78. “Once in a blue moon” refers to a rare occurrence.
79. Mooncakes are traditional desserts in Chinese Moon Festival celebrations.
80. The Moon was central to early calendars and timekeeping.
81. In astrology, the Moon rules emotions, intuition, and the sign Cancer.
82. Some people believe full moons cause strange behavior—though science is mixed.
83. Wolves howling at the Moon is more symbolic than scientific.
84. The Moon appears larger near the horizon due to an optical illusion.
85. Some ancient maps showed faces or rabbits on the Moon.
86. The “Man in the Moon” is a pattern seen in the maria from Earth.
87. The Aztecs believed the Moon was formed after a god sacrificed himself in fire.
88. The Moon has appeared in flags, coins, and emblems worldwide.
89. The Moon has inspired countless works of art and literature.
90. Van Gogh, Shakespeare, and Beethoven all referenced the Moon.
91. The word “moon” comes from Old English mōna.
92. The term “month” comes from the word “Moon.”
93. Full moons often have names like “Wolf Moon” or “Harvest Moon.”
94. The Moon has been referenced in over 500 songs.
95. Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is one of the best-selling albums of all time.
96. The Moon landing was watched live by over 600 million people.
97. Some still believe in Moon landing conspiracy theories—despite clear evidence.
98. The Moon’s glow is not its own light—it reflects sunlight.
99. A Moonbow is a rare lunar rainbow created by moonlight and water droplets.
100. Some people suffer from selenophobia—a fear of the Moon.

Fun, Weird and Lesser-Known Facts

101. You can fit about 50 Moons inside the Earth if it were hollow.
102. There is no air or wind on the Moon, so footprints can last for millions of years.
103. The Moon has hosted over 100 robotic missions.
104. The Moon smells like burnt gunpowder, according to astronauts.
105. Time passes differently on the Moon due to its lower gravity.
106. A Moon day is as long as a lunar month.
107. The Moon’s orbital speed is nearly 1 kilometer per second.
108. There is no “dark side” of the Moon—just the far side.
109. The Moon is shrinking over time due to cooling of its core.
110. Earth’s tides actually slow the planet’s rotation very slightly.
111. Lunar eclipses are more common than solar eclipses at any given location.
112. The Moon’s surface area is about 14.6 million square miles—less than Asia.
113. Moonlight is 400,000 times fainter than sunlight.
114. The Moon’s center of mass is offset from its geometric center.
115. Moon phases can affect animal behavior and plant growth.
116. The Moon has lava tubes that could serve as shelter in future colonies.
117. Some companies have sold “land” on the Moon, though it’s not legally binding.
118. There’s a U.S. flag and a plaque on the Moon left by Apollo 11.
119. The Moon doesn’t have a time zone, but missions sync with Earth UTC.
120. Without the Moon, life on Earth may never have evolved as it did.