Moon

Why does the Moon change shape? -

The Moon is a large ball of rock that doesn't change shape - just look as though it does. The shape we see in the sky today depends on how much Moon's face is lit up. Sometimes we observe a thin crescent, and at other time wee see half or three quartets of the Moon, and then a fully lit face - A full Moon.

How the Moon was formed?

Most astronomers think that the Moon was formed out of Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. It is known as the giant-impact theory.

01: A Mars-sized asteroid collides into Earth at a speed of 20 km per second (12 miles per second)

02: Smashed asteroid pieces and material gouged out of Earth's rocky mantle form a ring around Earth. 

03: Over several million years, the pieces of orbiting material bump into each other and join together. 

04: They form one large body - the Moon. About a quarter the size of Earth, it slowly moves out to its present orbit.

07 facts about Moon - 

01: The pull of Earth's gravity keeps the Moon in orbit.

02: The Moon's surface gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's.

03: The Moon's gravity pulls on Earth's oceans to produce tides.

04: The "far side" of the Moon we don's see was first imaged in 1959 by the Soviet spacecraft that was Luna 3

05: The Moon reflects light like a very dirty mirror. Although the Full Moon looks bright, it is 400,000 (Four lakhs) times closer they look the same size. 

06: The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but as it is 400 times closer they look the same size.

07: The Moon's surface temperature changes every Moon-day from hotter than boiling water to colder that liquid air.

Top eight places to visit on the Moon-

01: Apollo 12 landing site - A short walk away from the spacecraft, Surveyor 3.

02: Mare Orientale Crater - A huge crater surrounded by mountains.

03: Crater Linné - Changes in this area have lead it, at one time, to disappear from view.

04: Apollo 15 landing site -  Hadley Rill, the first Lunar Rover, is still parked there.

05: Highland, Tycho Crater - The oldest part of Moon - who knows what is buried deep below!

06: Apollo 11 landing site - Look out for Neil Armstrong's footprint, the first made on Moon.

07: Lunar domes, Hortensius Crater - Volcano domes that in the distance past sent lava over the Moon's surface

08: Mons Piton - A strange, isolated mountain, rising 2.3 km (1.4 miles)

- Keva