The Moon
Moon of Earth
Earth’s only natural satellite and the only world beyond Earth where people have walked.
Key facts
- Orbits
- Earth
- Diameter
- About 3,476 km
- Average distance from Earth
- 384,400 km
- One orbit
- 27.3 days
- Full moon to full moon
- 29.5 days
About the The Moon
How to recognise it
The Moon is grey, with darker smooth plains, called maria, and brighter, heavily cratered highlands. The same side always faces Earth. Our image was taken by the Apollo 11 crew in 1969.
What it is like
The Moon has almost no atmosphere, so its surface keeps craters for billions of years. It takes about 27.3 days to orbit Earth, and about 29.5 days to go through its phases from one full moon to the next.
Sources
Facts checked: 29 October 2026
