Key Takeaways:
- Twelve American astronauts participated in the Apollo missions (11-17), with the first Moon landing occurring on July 20, 1969, and the last on December 14, 1972.
- The Moon's surface gravity is approximately 16.6% of Earth's, and the Apollo missions collected nearly 838 pounds of lunar samples.
- Evidence of water ice exists on the Moon, and the Moon's atmosphere is extremely tenuous, far less dense than Earth's.
- The Moon's orbital mechanics contribute to Earth's day lengthening by 1.4 milliseconds per century, and a study suggests that approximately 8.3% of Earth-like planets may possess a Moon-like satellite.
Recently, I posted two lists of Moon facts, each containing 10 that were pretty cool. They’ll also help you answer questions about our lone natural satellite. You’ll find them here and here.
Well, here are 10 more …
#21. A total of 12 American astronauts have walked on the Moon. They traveled there as part of missions Apollo 11 through Apollo 17. Apollo 13 had technical problems and never landed on the Moon. The first landing occurred July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong became the first person on the Moon the next day. The sixth and final landing occurred December 11, 1972. Eugene Cernan became the last man on the Moon when he stepped off its surface December 14.
#22. The Moon is just as much a daytime object as a nighttime one. You can see it in the daytime half of each lunar month. And here’s a bonus fact: on average, the Moon rises 50 minutes later each day.
#23. The Moon does contain some water. In 2009, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS, for short) found water ice in Cabeus Crater, which lies only 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) from the Moon’s South Pole.
#24. The surface gravity of the Moon is 16.6 percent that of Earth’s surface gravity. Said another way, if you weigh 100 pounds (45.3 kilograms) on Earth, you would weigh 16.6 pounds (7.5 kilograms) on the Moon — not counting your spacesuit, helmet, boots, air tanks, and everything else you would need to survive.
#25. The six successful Apollo missions returned nearly 838 pounds (380 kilograms) of lunar rock and soil in 2,196 separate samples.
#26. The so-called “Super Moon” is just the nearest Full Moon during any calendar year.
#27. Because of tidal forces between Earth and the Moon, our day is getting longer by 1.4 milliseconds each century.
#28. The Moon’s atmosphere is less than one hundred-trillionth the density of Earth’s atmosphere at sea level.
#29. The lighter regions of the Moon are highlands. The darker regions, often called “seas” or “maria,” are basins filled with dark lava.
#30. According to a 2011 study by astronomers, 8.3 percent of Earth-like planets are likely to have a Moon-like satellite.
