The moon, which is Earth's only natural satellite, makes a complete orbit around the Earth every 27.3 days. The moon's surface is less than one-tenth of that of the Earth. The moon has a synchronous rotation so that it rotates about its axis in about the same time it takes to orbit the Earth. This means the moon keeps nearly the same face turned towards the Earth at all times. The side of the moon that faces away from Earth is called "the dark side of the moon," but it isn't really dark.
Fun facts to know and tell about the Earth:
--The moon is the only celestial body to which human beings have performed a manned landing.
--The Latin name for the moon is Luna, to which it is occasionally referred in science fiction.
--The dark lunar plains that are visible to the naked eye are called maria, which is Latin for "seas," since ancient astronomers thought they were filled with water. We now know they are vast solidified pools of ancient basaltic lava. Maria are found almost exclusively on the near side of the moon.
--The lighter-colored regions of the moon are called terrae or highlands, since they are higher than most maria.
--The moon's surface is marked by impact craters that form when asteroids and comets collide with the lunar surface. There are about a half-million of such craters.
--Astronauts who walked on the moon reported that moon dust on the surface felt like snow and smelled like spent gunpowder.
(Source: Wikipedia)
