Can We Live on the Moon?
We know that humans can survive on the Moon, thanks to the success of the Apollo missions and the 12 brave people who have explored the lunar surface. But can we create permanent settlements where we don’t just survive, but thrive? The short answer is, yes! We have lots of practice living off-world, thanks to over 20 years of the International Space Station being continuously inhabited. There are similar challenges we’ll face on the Moon, including no air to breathe and being confined to small spaces. Some things will be more challenging, such as increased radiation exposure and a farther distance to send help. But some things will be easier. There is some gravity on the Moon, which is better for our muscular-skeletal system compared to being weightless in orbit. There’s also water ice near the surface at the poles, for use in drinking and fuel, and soil that’s similar enough to Earth’s that we can grow crops in it. Read More
Latest News About Earth's Moon
Earth’s Moon literally turned itself inside out
April 10, 2024
Data and theoretical models combine to paint a picture of ‘inside out’ moon. Learn how experts know what happened Read more
Someday, Earth will have a final total solar eclipse
April 9, 2024
But predicting when this will happen poses numerous challenges Read more
Is the Moon shrinking?
March 25, 2024
This contraction affects the entire Moon, causing its surface area to decrease and its solid crust to wrinkle Read more
Earth has extra moons, and they may hold the secrets of our solar system's past
February 25, 2024
Earth's 'minimoons' or 'quasi-moons' could hold the secrets to our history Read more
How ‘Our Moon’ shaped life on Earth and human history
February 8, 2024
The tides pulled our ocean-confined ancestors out of the water Read more
Scientists propose an updated time scale scheme of the Earth's moon
January 26, 2024
The newly proposed lunar time scale scheme consists of three Eons and six Periods units Read more
Shrinking Moon causing moonquakes and faults near lunar south pole
January 25, 2024
Thrust faults should be considered when planning the location of permanent outposts Read more
Earth and the Moon are proportional partners, and that might be rare
January 8, 2024
Earth is right at the edge of the prime spot for a planet’s ability to form a large moon Read more
Total solar eclipses will some day be impossible. Here’s why
January 5, 2024
The phenomenon may some day become folklore — well, in 600 million years Read more
Lunar anthropocene: Are we in new epoch of Moon’s history?
December 11, 2023
The new epoch may have dawned in 1959, thanks to the Soviet unmanned spacecraft Luna 2 Read more
Building telescopes on the Moon could transform astronomy
December 8, 2023
And it’s becoming an achievable goal Read more
Scientists find hydrogen in Apollo moon rocks
November 22, 2023
Future astronauts could harvest water to use as rocket propellant and for life support Read more
Moon rocks blasted off the lunar surface could become near-Earth asteroids
October 24, 2023
We've discovered how space rock Kamo'oalewa was ejected from the moon Read more
The moon may be 40 million years older than we thought
October 23, 2023
Lunar rocks brought to Earth in 1972 contain the oldest pieces of the moon we've ever seen Read more
How precious metals were brought to Earth and preserved in a magma ocean
October 13, 2023
Ancient impacts brought gold and other precious metals to our planet Read more
All solar eclipses will be 'rings of fire' in the distant future. Here's why
October 8, 2023
The mean distance of the moon to the Earth is increasing Read more
Did the Moon’s water come from Earth?
September 24, 2023
Processes within the Earth’s magnetic field could be contributing to the formation of water Read more
How India’s rover findings of sulfur in lunar soil could pave the way for future Moon bases
September 23, 2023
Sulfur in soils might help astronauts live off the land Read more
Abandoned Apollo 17 lunar lander module is causing tremors on the Moon
September 15, 2023
Temperature swings can cause human-made structures to expand and contract Read more
NASA, Forest Service to share Moon tree seedlings, promote STEM
August 24, 2023
Apply to receive a seedling grown from a tree seed that flew around the Moon Read more
What would happen if an asteroid hit the Moon?
August 24, 2023
Depending on the time of day or night, observers on Earth might be able to see a bright flash Read more
Gravitational wave detectors on the moon could be more sensitive than those on Earth
August 21, 2023
There are no major technological hurdles to overcome to build it Read more
China's rover maps 1,000 feet of hidden 'structures' deep below the dark side of the moon
August 20, 2023
They reveal billions of years of previously hidden lunar history Read more
Join MoonDiff and go Moon-combing with NASA!
August 1, 2023
NASA needs your help spotting changes on the surface of Earth's nearest neighbor Read more
Mass of Earth-like rock found under the far side of the Moon
July 12, 2023
Until now, granite on the Moon was found only in traces within lunar rocks Read more
"Man in the Moon" craters are 200 million years older than previously believed
July 11, 2023
This finding clarifies the sequence of lunar surface evolution Read more
Moonquake-hunting 'SPIDER' probes could detect lunar temblors on NASA Artemis missions
June 29, 2023
The early-stage mission hooks into NASA's Artemis program Read more
More evidence found showing the moon's inner core is solid, like Earth's
May 5, 2023
They revealed active overturn, where denser material is pulled closer to the core Read more
Fading Friends: the evolution of the Earth-Moon distance
April 28, 2023
Don’t worry, it’s going to take a long time for the Moon to leave the Earth’s orbit Read more
Water is trapped in glass beads on the moon’s surface, lunar samples show
March 27, 2023
Trillions of pounds of water may be strewn across the moon Read more
Fascinating Facts About Earth's Moon
- If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel and the moon would the size of a green pea.
- The moon is Earth's only natural satellite and orbits the Earth at a distance of about 384 thousand kilometers (239 thousand miles) or 0.00257 AU.
- The moon makes a complete orbit around Earth in 27 Earth days and rotates or spins at that same rate, or in that same amount of time. This causes the moon to keep the same side towards Earth throughout the course of its orbit.
- The moon is the fifth largest moon in the solar system.
- The full moon appears 400,000 times less bright than the Sun does.
- The moon is the only celestial body beyond Earth that has been visited by human beings.
- The moon has a very thin and tenuous (weak) atmosphere called an exosphere.
Missions
LADEE (2013)
Mission to collect information about structure and composition of the lunar atmosphere
GRAIL mission (2011)
Mission to create high-resolution map of the Moon’s gravitational field
LCROSS (2009)
Mission to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a shadowed crater near a lunar pole
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (2009)
Mission to collect detailed information about the lunar environment
Chandrayaan-1 (2008)
ISRO mission to study geological, mineralogical and topographical characteristics of the Moon
Chang’e (2007-2018)
CNSA (China) lunar orbiter, lander and rover
KAGUYA (SELENE) (2007)
JAXA mission to understand origin of the Moon
Artemis Project (2007)
Repurposed THEMIS mission to study the Moon’s interactions with the Sun
Smart-1 (2003)
ESA mission to perform scientific observations of the Moon
Lunar Prospector (1998)
Mission to map moon’s surface composition
Clementine (1994)
Mission to make scientific observations of the Moon
HITEN (1990)
ISAS (JAXA) mission studying satellite orbit, data transmission and aerobraking
Apollo missions (1967-1972)
Mission to land humans on the moon and return them safely to Earth
Explorer Program (1967-1973)
Multiple missions carrying out a wide variety of scientific investigations
Surveyor probes (1966-1968)
Mission to determine if lunar terrain was safe for landing
Lunar orbiter program (1964-1967)
Missions to locate good landing sites for Apollo mission
Soviet Lunar Missions (1959-1976)
Mission to determine feasibility of manned lunar landings