Winter is the perfect time to wrap up warm and enjoy the wonders of the night sky. On a clear evening in the countryside you might spot hundreds of different stars, but there’s one object that shines bigger and brighter than any of them: the Moon. Here are some magical moon facts for everyone to learn from.
The Moon is about four times smaller than Earth, and about 400 times smaller than the Sun. It’s also 400 times closer to us than the Sun!
Even though the Moon is slowly spinning around us, the same side of it is always facing us.
The part of the Moon facing the Sun is much hotter than anywhere on Earth – and the part of the Moon in darkness is much colder than anywhere on Earth!
The Moon is 384,400 kilometres from Earth. It takes around three days to fly there in a spaceship.
There’s no wind or water on the Moon, but there are lots of craters on the surface. These were made by comets and asteroids smashing into the surface, millions of years ago.
The first humans to walk on the Moon were American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, in July 1969.
Since then, five other spaceships have carried astronauts to the Moon. The last one was way back in 1972!
Excitingly, the next Moon landing is planned for 2024. If it’s successful, the crew will include the first woman to land on the Moon.
Did you know? At YHA, we offer many amazing glamping options, meaning you can gaze at the Moon and stars to your heart’s content, especially in the warmer months.
Read next: Find out about the role the Moon plays in the Year of the Tiger.
Image credits: © AdobeStock / ohishiftl (background), Jacky (craters), Skyelar (footprint)
