July 20 is always Moon Day. This day occurs every year. It commemorates the first day that man ever walked on Earth’s moon. President John F. Kennedy promised to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. He did that when Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon on July 20, 1969 (July 20 Holiday). If you want to celebrate moon day, why not celebrate by learning these interesting top 5 facts about the moon.
The Moon Is as Old as the Earth
As far as we know, the moon is as old as the earth. The age of the moon has been found by measuring the age of lunar rocks. When the ages of these rocks are found, it is thought that they are about 4.6 billion years old. This is about the same age as Earth (Geographic News).
A Rocket Can Reach the Moon in 240 Times Less Than a Car
If you could travel to the moon in a car, it would take 130 days. This is 3,120 hours. However, a rocket can reach the moon in less than a day! It only takes 13 hours for a rocket to get to the moon! Imagine traveling across the world at rocket speed! You’d get to your destination in only a few hours! (The Moon).
There Is No Such Thing as Moonlight
Even though moonlight is considered to be a word and is listed in dictionaries, there is really no such thing as moonlight. The moon does not give off its own light. Instead, the moon reflects sunlight to the earth. That is what makes the moon visible in the sky. Sometimes this even makes the moon visible during the day (The Moon).
High Tides Are Caused by the Moon
All of the tides in oceans and other bodies of water are caused by the moon. This is due to the gravitational forces that the moon and the Earth have on each other. When waters face the moon, the pull or “bulge” is strongest and it creates high tides. When the waters are the furthest away from the moon, this causes low tides. There are usually two high tides and two low tides each day (Geographic News).
February May Not Have a Full Moon
Sometimes the month of February may not have a full moon. This is because February is only 28 or 29 days long. This makes the month shorter than the 29.5 days of a lunar month. All the other months are longer than 29.5 days, so there is always at least one full moon (The Moon).
Sources:
July 20 Holiday – Moon Day from Holiday Insights. (n.d.). 2012 June Holiday fun, about May holidays, much more! Holiday Insights. Retrieved July 6, 2012, from http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/July/moonday.htm
Geographic News. (n.d.). Moon Facts. Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. Retrieved July 6, 2012, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0714_040714_moonfacts.html
The Moon. (n.d.). Woodlands Junior High School. Retrieved July 6, 2012, from www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/moon/facts.htm
