Earth Moon

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Realm / Physical / Universe / Solar System / Terrestrial/ Earth / Moon
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Introduction1

NASA Goddard (YouTube Channel)
Goddard Space Flight Center (Official Website)

Dictionary

Moon : the earth’s natural satellite (see satellite 2a) that shines by the sun’s reflected light, revolves about the earth from west to east in about 291⁄2 days with reference to the sun or about 271⁄3 days with reference to the stars, and has a diameter of 2160 miles (3475 kilometers), a mean distance from the earth of about 238,900 miles (384,400 kilometers), and a mass about one eightieth that of the earth (often capitalized : usually used with the) — Merriam-Webster   See also   OneLook

Encyclopedia

The Moon is an astronomical body that orbits planet Earth, being Earth’s only permanent natural satellite. It is the fifth-largest natural satellite in the Solar System, and the largest among planetary satellites relative to the size of the planet that it orbits (its primary). Following Jupiter’s satellite Io, the Moon is second-densest satellite among those whose densities are known. The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 384,400 km (238,900 mi),[10][11] or 1.28 light-seconds. — Wikipedia

Moon (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Moon (COSMOS: The SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy)

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Adventures

Explore related posts on Cosma

  • Moon’scapes - There’s no denying that it’s been a rough week for many Earthlings. On the other hand, it’s been a great week for anyone who spends their time more preoccupied with the Moon than with more earthly concerns. That’s because there’s a treasure trove of news about our lunar realm. For example, NASA’s Goddard Media Studios … Continue reading Moon’scapes
  • September is Corny! - Have you ever noticed that most months tend to be associated with certain adjectives. October is spooky, December is festive, and so on … I think of September as corny! One obvious reason for this is because it’s when corn is harvested and readily available. Another reason is because September is usually the month of … Continue reading September is Corny!
  • Umbraphiles - umbraphile : One who loves eclipses, often travelling to see them. You’ve probably heard about the April 8th solar eclipse (Wikipedia), and if you live near the path of totality, then you’ve probably also seen news stories like this one. Party in the Path of Totality at These Solar Eclipse Getaways Across New England (Kristi … Continue reading Umbraphiles

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Inspiration

Take a virtual tour of the Moon in all-new 4K resolution, thanks to data provided by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. As the visualization moves around the near side, far side, north and south poles, we highlight interesting features, sites, and information gathered on the lunar terrain. — NASA Goddard

NASA Goddard (YouTube Channel)
Goddard Space Flight Center (Official Website)

Solar System Treks are portals that allow you to visualize, explore, and analyze the surfaces of other worlds using real data returned from a growing fleet of spacecraft. You can view the worlds through the eyes of many different instruments, pilot real-time 3D flyovers above mountains and into craters, and conduct measurements of surface features. Moon Trek integrates a suite of interactive tools that incorporate observations from past and current lunar missions, creating a comprehensive lunar research Web portal. The interface provides navigation, 3D visualization, fly-overs, performance, and reliability. — Moon Trek

Moon Trek (Solar System Treks, NASA, JPL & Cal Tech)

The Moon (Astrum, YouTube Playlist)

Articles about the Moon (Big Think)

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Innovation

Science

Our Moon: the Moon (International Astronomical Union)
The Moon (NASA)

Earth’s Moon Videos (ViewSpace, Space Telescope Science Institute)

The Moon (Planetary Society)
Lunar Exploration (Lunar & Planetary Institute)

Moon (Eric Weisstein’s World of Astronomy, Wolfram Research)
Moon (Wolfram Alpha)

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Preservation

History

On 30 November 1609, Galileo aimed his telescope at the Moon. While not being the first person to observe the Moon through a telescope (English mathematician Thomas Harriot had done it four months before but only saw a “strange spottednesse”), Galileo was the first to deduce the cause of the uneven waning as light occlusion from lunar mountains and craters. In his study, he also made topographical charts, estimating the heights of the mountains. The Moon was not what was long thought to have been a translucent and perfect sphere, as Aristotle claimed. — Wikipedia

The Moon (The Galileo Project)
The View from Galileo’s Telescope (MicroObservatory, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian)

Exploring the moon: From Apollo to Artemis, A Timeline of Lunar Missions (New Scientist, YouTube Video)
About Lunar Exploration From Apollo to the Future (Lunar and Planetary Institute)

Moon Exploration (NASA Science)
NASA’s History (NASA)

Museum

Moon Online Exhibitions (Smithsonian)

Earth’s Moon (Exploring the Planets, National Air and Space Museum)

Archive

NASA’s Archives (NASA)

Library

DDC: 523.3 Moon (Library Thing)
Subject: Moon (Library Thing)

Subject: Moon (Open Library)

LCC: QB 580 Moon (UPenn Online Books)

LCC: QB 580 Moon (Library of Congress)
Subject: Moon (Library of Congress)

Subject: Moon (WorldCat)

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Participation

Education

The Moon – Level 1 (StarChild, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA)
The Moon – Level 2 (StarChild, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA)

Teach with the Moon (European Space Agency)

The Moon (Crash Course Astronomy, YouTube Video)

Earth’s Moons Learning Resources (National Air and Space Museum)

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Community

Organization

Lunar Section (British Astronomical Association)

News

Moon (Nova Research Highlights, American Astronomical Society)
Earth’s Moon (EurekaAlert, AAAS)
The Moon (Astronomy Magazine)
Moon (JSTOR)
Moon (Science Daily)
Moon (Phys.org)


Recent News from Phys.org …

  • Is extracting oxygen from lunar soil the future...
    on May 31, 2026 at 12:30 am

    A new race to the moon is emerging between the United States and China. Unlike fifty years ago, the goal is no longer just about landing and leaving, but establishing a base that allows for a sustainable presence and extended stays on the surface of our natural satellite. The objective is now to use the moon as a testing ground for technologies that will enable us to travel further, particularly to Mars.

  • How mobile deep‑space medical systems could...
    on May 30, 2026 at 6:00 pm

    Around the world, people watched NASA's Artemis II mission in awe as humans returned to lunar orbit for the first time since 1972.

  • Saturday Citations: Failure to launch; cellular...
    on May 30, 2026 at 1:20 pm

    Highlights from the last week of May, 2026: A key climate tipping point is disrupting the Arctic Ocean food chain (more of a lowlight, I guess). Scuba-diving tourism may not be the benefit to coral reef systems that we once thought, and might actually be unsustainable. And an experimental mRNA vaccine showed promising results against strains of Ebola.

  • Blue Origin rocket explosion is bad news for both...
    on May 30, 2026 at 10:00 am

    Space exploration is filled with setbacks, but the spectacular explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on Thursday night marked a significant blow to not only the company, which was founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, but also NASA, with the two collaborating for the upcoming US moon missions.

  • A trip to the United Arab Emirates' darkest spot...
    on May 30, 2026 at 9:45 am

    The gleaming skyscrapers and bright lights of the United Arab Emirates draw the eyes of all who travel there, a sign of the Arabian Peninsula nation's rapid, oil-fueled development over the last decades into a major hub for commerce and tourism.

returntotop

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Related

Here are links to pages about closely related subjects.

Knowledge Realm

Physical

“Fundamentals”
Law (Constant) Relativity
Force Gravity, Electromagnetism (Light, Color)
Matter (Microscope) Molecule, Atom (Periodic Table), Particle

“Space”
Universe (Astronomical Instrument)
Galaxy Milky Way, Andromeda
Planetary System Star, Brown Dwarf, Planet, Moon

Our Neighborhood
Solar System Sun
Terrestrial Planet Mercury, Venus, Earth (Our Moon, Luna), Mars
Asteroid Belt Ceres, Vesta
Jovian Planet Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Trans-Neptunian Object
Kuiper Belt Pluto, Haumea, Makemake
Scattered Disc Eris, Sedna, Planet X
Oort Cloud Etc. Scholz’s Star
Small Body Comet, Centaur, Asteroid

See also   Space Transportation

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Notes

1.   The resources on this page are are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma.