Moon

The Moon is a large, round rock that goes around the Earth. It is the second brightest thing in the sky after the Sun, whose light it borrows every night and returns every morning without being asked.^[1]

The Moon is about 384,000 kilometres away. It is moving further away by about 3.8 centimetres a year, which astronomers say is natural and the Moon says is “nothing personal”.

Phases

The Moon appears to change shape over the course of a month, from new moon to full moon and back. It does not actually change shape; it is round the entire time and simply turns the lights on in different rooms.^[2]

• New moon: the Moon is there, and has asked not to be looked at.
• Crescent: a slice.
• Half moon: actually a quarter moon, for reasons that have been explained many times and understood never.
• Full moon: the whole thing, for one night, as a treat.

Tides

The Moon’s gravity pulls the ocean towards it, causing the tide. The ocean goes along with this twice a day and has never once asked where it is going.^[3]

Cheese

It was once widely believed that the Moon was made of cheese. Samples brought back in 1969 showed that it was made of rock, which was a disappointment to everyone except geologists, who had been saying so for some time.

See also

• Sun – the Moon’s lighting supplier
• Tide – what the Moon does to the sea
• Midnight – the Moon’s busiest time
• Circle – what the Moon looks like, once a month
• Moon landing – the most famous visit

References

1. Luna, L. (1966). Up There. Night Press.
2. Phase, P. (2001). “It Is Round the Whole Time”. Journal of Obvious Astronomy 3.
3. Ebb, E. & Flow, F. (1990). “Where Is the Sea Going?”. Twice daily.