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The moon was thought by many ancient people to be a god. There is no wonder why. This
object is the second brightest object in the sky and seems to give off its own light.
But this is not the case, the moon merely reflects the light it receives from the sun.
The moon is thought to have formed from a collision between the Earth and a planet-sized
object. This collision threw tons of material in the air which came together to form the
moon. The moon slowly moved further and further from the Earth and in fact still recedes
to this day. It moves away at a rate of 3.8 centimeters per year.
The moon always has one side facing the Earth. This is because the length of time the
moon takes to go around the Earth once is equal to its day. Although many people think
that there is a dark side of the moon, this is not true. Far side of the moon is more
accurate. Because although the same side faces the Earth at all times, when the moon is
between the sun and Earth, the far side of the moon has light. On the other hand, when the
moon is at opposition (opposite from the sun) the near side of the moon has light.
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