In Depth | Earth's Moon – NASA Solar System Exploration
The brightest and largest object in our night sky, the Moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate. It also causes tides, creating a rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years.
By the Numbers | Earth's Moon – NASA Solar System Exploration
The next full Moon will be on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. The Moon will appear full from early Saturday morning through early Tuesday morning.
In Depth | Earth – NASA Solar System Exploration
With a radius of 1,080 miles (1,738 kilometers), the Moon is the fifth largest moon in our solar system (after Ganymede, Titan, Callisto, and Io). The Moon is an average of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) away from Earth. That means 30 Earth-sized planets could fit in between Earth and its Moon. Rings. Rings. Earth has no rings. Formation ...
What is a Supermoon? – NASA Solar System Exploration
May 20, 2021 · A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full. So what's so special about a supermoon? For the interested observer, there's plenty to see and learn.
Planet Compare - NASA Solar System Exploration
Jan 9, 2025 · NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system.
In Depth | Moons – NASA Solar System Exploration
Of the terrestrial (rocky) planets of the inner solar system, neither Mercury nor Venus have any moons at all, Earth has one and Mars has its two small moons. In the outer solar system, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and the ice giants Uranus and Neptune have dozens of moons.
Titan | Science – NASA Solar System Exploration
Jan 9, 2025 · During NASA's Cassini mission's final distant encounter with Saturn's giant moon Titan, the spacecraft captured the enigmatic moon's north polar landscape of lakes and seas, which are filled with liquid methane and ethane.
In Depth | Mercury – NASA Solar System Exploration
The smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. From the surface of Mercury, the Sun would appear more than three times as large as it does when viewed from Earth, and the sunlight would be as much as seven times brighter.
The Sun By the Numbers – NASA Solar System Exploration
Jan 9, 2025 · The Sun is the star at the heart of our solar system. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything – from the biggest planets to the smallest bits of debris – in its orbit.
Why the Moon is important for Solar System Science
Jan 9, 2025 · This paper outlines the importance of the Moon for Solar System science and in its own right as a critical target for scientific investigation during the next decade of exploration.