Earth’s only natural satellite is simply called “the Moon” because people didn’t know other moons existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610. The moon is also the only place outside of the earth that has been visited by humans so far.
| Name | Moon |
|---|---|
| Discovery date | unknown |
| Semi-major axis | 384 400 km = 3.844 x 105 km (0,00257 AU) Comparison: 0.00257 x Earth distance from the sun |
| Perigee | 363 300 km = 3.633 x 105 km (0,00271 AU) |
| Apogee | 405 500 km = 4.055 x 105 km (0,00243 AU) |
| Diameter | 3474.8 km = 3.474 x 103 km Comparison: 0.2724 x Earth |
| Circumference | 10 916 km = 1.0916 x 104 km |
| Volume | 21 970 000 000 km3 = 2.197 x 1010 km3 Comparison: 0.020 x Earth |
| Mass | 73 483 000 000 000 000 000 000 kg = 7.483 x 1022 kg Comparison: 0.0123 x Earth |
| Mean density | 3.341 g/cm3 Comparison: 0.606 x Earth |
| Surface area | 37 932 330 km2 = 3,793233 x 107 km2 Comparison: 0.074 x Earth |
| Surface gravity | 1,622 m/s2 Comparison: 0.166 x Earth |
| Rotation period | 27.322 Earth days 655.72 hours Note: In synchronism with the Earth |
| Orbital period (Length of a year) |
0.075 Earth year 27.321661 Earth days Note: Circulation = Rotation |
| Eccentricity | 0,0554 Comparison: 3.285 x Earth |
| Inclination | 5.16° Note: Oscillates about 0.15° in 173 days |
| Axial tilt | 6,68° |
| Peripheral orbit | 2 290 000 km = 2,290 x 106 km |
| Minimum/Maximum surface temperature |
-160/130 °C = 113.15/403.15 K |
