Tell About Moon?

Interestingly, one moon watch was sent to the president of the United States at the time, Richard M. Nixon, who sent a thank you note to Franklin. The note and another moon watch were kept in a display case at the Hayden Planetarium for several years.

Quite a few visitors would openly wonder why Nixon was presented with a wristwatch that could be used only on the moon.

Forty years have come and gone without the watch becoming a big seller.

On average, the moon is 238,750 miles (384,400 km) from Earth, or about 30 Earth widths away.[3]

Most scientists believe the moon formed as a result of a “Giant Impact,” or “Giant Whack.” According to this theory, a Mars-sized planet struck a glancing blow to early Earth. The impact “splashed off” rocks and debris into space, forming a huge ring around Earth that later clumped together to form the moon.[3]

Not all full moons are the same size. Their size varies depending on whether the moon is at its apogee (far away) or perigee (nearby). The moon is generally 14% bigger when at its perigee.[6]

When the moon is at its apogee (farthest from Earth), the tides and weather tend to be more predictable. When the moon is at its perigee (closest to Earth), the increased gravitational pull can create larger tides and more unstable weather.[6]

The moon has had a violent history. It underwent what scientists call a Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) or “lunar cataclysm” period somewhere between three and four billion years ago. During this time, the moon (and, most likely, Earth) was bombarded with meteorites.[10]

The moon’s core is 2-4% of its mass, whereas Earth’s core is about 30% of its mass.[3]

The moon is not round—it is shaped like an egg.[7]

Moonquakes, which originate several miles below the moon’s surface, may be a result of Earth’s gravitational pull. Engineers say these quakes could become a factor if lunar bases are ever built on the moon.[6]

Because the moon has no atmosphere, its temperature ranges from less than -200° F to more than 200° F.[7]

The largest crater in the solar system is found on the moon. Called the South Pole-Aitken, this giant crater is on the far side of the moon and is 1,550 miles (2,500 km) in diameter. The largest crater visible to Earth (on the near side of the moon) is the Bailly Crater, with a 183-mile diameter.[7]

The moon’s diameter is 2,159 miles (3,475 km), roughly four times smaller than Earth’s, which is 7,926 miles (12,756 km).[3]

If Earth were one big ocean, the tidal bulge would travel once around Earth in 24 hours and 50 minutes. That’s the time of one moonrise to the next.[7]

The moon’s gravity has slowed the speed of Earth’s rotation. Long ago, it was much faster and days were much shorter.[7]

Only 12 people have been on the moon: the astronauts on the Apollo missions from 1969 to 1972.[10]

The six Apollo crews came back to Earth with a total of 850 pounds (385 kg) of the moon.[7]

Approximately 49 moons could fit into Earth.[7]

The moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, but it is also 400 times closer to Earth—so from Earth, the moon and the sun look about the same size.[6]

From the moon, Earth is almost four times the size of a full moon from Earth, and it never moves across the moon’s sky.[6]

A lunar eclipse, when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, lasts longer than a solar eclipse because Earth’s shadow is so much larger.[6]

Because the surface of the moon has no wind or water, an astronaut’s footprint could last for millions of years.

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon is too small to block the whole sun and leaves a ring of light visible. This eclipse happens because the moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, so when the moon is farthest away from Earth, it appears smaller in the sky.

Anomalistic – the length of time it takes the moon to circle the Earth, measured from one perigee (the closest point in its orbit to Earth) to the next: 27 days, 13 hours, 18 minutes, 37.4 seconds.