On most nights, you can see the moon in the sky. Sometimes it’s very bright, large and round. At other times, you might see only a tiny sliver of it or clouds might cover it. For thousands of years, people have watched the moon and told stories about it.
Scientists believe the moon was created 4.5 billion years ago when the universe was created. We’re not sure, but scientists think a large chunk of rock might have collided with the newly forming Earth and broken off a piece of the Earth, which created the moon.
Fun Facts about Our Moon for Kids
- On Earth, we have an atmosphere, or blanket of gas and liquid, that protects our planet from comets and meteors. The moon has no atmosphere so meteors often crash into it. The moon is covered with craters from these collisions. It also has about 2 inches of dust on its surface. This dust probably falls from space and also comes from the crashes.
- Because the moon has no atmosphere, it gets very hot and cold. When the Sun is shining, the moon is 250 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is dark, the temperature reaches -280 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The moon orbits the Earth, but it is also spinning at the same time.
- The moon takes about 29 days to orbit the Earth. During this time, your view of it changes, depending on the moon’s position.
- The moon creates the Earth’s tides. On the side of the Earth that is closest to the moon, the moon’s gravity pulls the waters of the oceans up slightly, resulting in high tide.
- The moon helps regulate our seasons and weather.
Moon Vocabulary
- Sliver: a tiny piece
- Collide: crash, run into
- Meteor: falling rocks or debris from space
- Tide: the ebb and flow of water in the ocean
Learn More All About Our Moon
Watch this cool video all about our moon:
A video explaining where the moon gets its light during the night.
Moon Q&A
Question 1: When was the first visit to the moon?
Answer 1: Robotic lunar spacecraft were sent from the USSR (Russia) to the moon in 1959. Neil Armstrong and 11 other American astronauts first walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Question 2: What is the largest crater on the Moon?
Answer 2: Bailly is the largest crater on the moon covering approximately 26 sq miles.
Question 3: How far away is the earth from the moon?
Answer 3: The earth is 384,000 km from the moon or 238,855 miles. It may look close at bedtime but its really far away.
Question 4: Is the moon hot or cold?
Answer 4: The moon has extreme temperatures because it has no atmosphere like we have on earth. So if you spend daytime on the moon you could fry eggs it gets so hot. Daytime temperatures can reach a whopping 100 degrees Celsius, boiling hot. At nighttime the temperature goes the complete opposite reaching a freezing -173 degrees Celsius.
Question 5: What are the different moon phases?
Answer 5: In total there are eight different moon phases. They are, New Moon – New Crescent – First Quarter – New Gibbous – Full Moon – Old Gibbous – Last Quarter and lastly Old Crescent.
Question 6: How long does it take to travel to the moon?
Answer 6: I would have imagined weeks or even months but actually only takes about 3 days to travel to the moon.
Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Our Moon info? Take the FREE & fun Our Moon quiz and download FREE Our Moon worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.
