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How big is the Moon?

The Moon is 3,500 kilometers

Introduction

Have you ever gazed up into the night sky, and wondered, “Just how big is the moon?” Well, you’re about to find out! The moon, in all its silent and glowing splendor, is Earth’s only natural satellite. It’s like our planet’s very own celestial sidekick, always there, lighting up the darkness of the night.

The Moon’s Size

In terms of size, the moon is about one-quarter of Earth’s diameter. Imagine if you could somehow place four moons side by side, they would stretch across the entire Earth! To put it in perspective, the moon’s diameter is comparable to the width of Australia. This makes the moon the fifth largest satellite in the entire Solar System.

  • The Moon’s diameter: 3,474 kilometers (comparable to the width of Australia) - Earth’s diameter: 12,742 kilometers Now, that’s a pretty big moon, right? The moon is even larger than all known dwarf planets in the Solar System.

Size Comparison

When we compare the moon to other celestial bodies, we get a better understanding of its size.

  • Compared to Earth: The moon is about 1/4th the size of Earth. If Earth were the size of a basketball, the moon would be about the size of a tennis ball.
  • Compared to other celestial bodies: The moon is larger than Pluto, but smaller than Mars.
  • Compared to other satellites: It’s the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. It’s smaller than Ganymede, Titan, Callisto, and Io (the four largest satellites of Jupiter), but larger than any other natural satellite.

The Moon’s Orbit

The Moon orbits the Earth at an average distance of 384,400 km. That’s about 30 times the Earth’s diameter! This distance is so vast that you could fit all the planets in the Solar System, lined up end to end, in that space with room to spare.

Interesting Facts

  • The Moon lacks any significant atmosphere, hydrosphere, or magnetic field.
  • Its surface gravity is about one-sixth of Earth’s. That means if you weigh 60 kg on Earth, you would weigh only 10 kg on the moon! - The Moon’s gravitational influence is the main driver of Earth’s tides and very slowly lengthens Earth’s day. - Jupiter’s moon Io is the only satellite in the Solar System known to have a higher surface gravity and density than our moon.

Conclusion

The moon might seem small when we look up at it in the night sky, but it’s actually quite big. It’s the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and even bigger than any known dwarf planet. So, the next time you gaze up at the moon, you’ll know exactly how big it is!

Smaller By Category
Europa
Europa is the puniest of the Galilean moons. It is covered with ice. There are mysterious streaks that cover the moon's surface. Scientists think a water ocean might exist beneath the layer of ice, possibly even holding life.
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is 2,900 kilometers across. However, it twists and turns, so if you straightened it out into a line, it would be over 8,800 kilometers long. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space. It's less than 10 meters wide! Most houses are wider than that!
Triton
Triton is Neptune's largest moon. It is also the coldest object we've visited in the Solar System, at -240 ° C. Triton is also a very windy place, with winds going at almost the speed of sound!
Larger By Category
Io
Io has a lot of volcanoes - the most in the Solar System! Io's geysers emit frozen sulfur dioxide up to 500 kilometers into space! The landscape of Io is constantly changing. In one year, it will look very different!
United States of America
Here is the U. S. A. Although it may seem to be larger than Pluto, Pluto has a back face, which means Pluto has more surface area!
Callisto
Callisto is the most distant of the Galilean moons. It orbits outside all the other Galilean moons and has the most meteor impact craters of them all.