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First man on the Moon - Neil Armstrong stepped into history on July 20, 1969, by leaving the first human footprint on the surface of the Moon. But what have we learned about the Moon since then?

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Lifeless - Though some nonbiological organic compounds have been found on the Moon, to this day no microorganisms have been found, proving that the Moon is indeed lifeless.

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We now know the Moon's age - The theory is that a large object (or several objects) hit Earth, and the Moon is one of the fragments of that impact.

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We now know the Moon's age - The lunar rocks brought back to Earth by  astronauts allowed us to to determine that the Moon was created around 4.5 billion years ago.

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The Moon has evolved -

The moon is not a primordial object. According to NASA, it's "an evolved terrestrial planet." It has an internal zoning similar to our planet, with a thick crust, and it's partly liquid deep down.

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There's water on the Moon -

In 2009, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's data confirmed that there was water locked up in ice.

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There's water on the Moon -

In 2020, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) found further evidence of water, this time on the sunlit side of the Moon.

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The Moon shakes a lot -

Seismometers were placed on the surface of the Moon to monitor seismic activity. They showed moonquakes happened regularly.

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Moonquakes go on for a long time -

Can you imagine how devastating a 10-minute earthquake would be? Unlike the average 30-second shakes we get on Earth, moonquakes can last up to 10 minutes.

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The Moon is shrinking -

After analyzing moonquake data, scientists discovered that part of its seismic activity originated from the contraction of the Moon's crust caused by its cooling. This has made the Moon shrink by about 150 feet (about 45 m) over the last few hundred million years.

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The Moon's surface is solid -

We didn't know this before going there. After samples were analyzed, it was determined that the lunar surface is made of a mix of dust and rocks.

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The Moon is covered in regolith -

The mix of dust and rock fragments that covers the Moon is called regolith.

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Moon rocks were formed in high temperatures, and without water -

There are mainly three types of rock on the Moon: basalts, anorthosites, and breccias, all of which are formed without water, unlike some of  the rocks we find on Earth, such as limestone.

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Our planet and and the Moon are genetically related -

Rocks from both Earth and the Moon show common ancestry. Though the Moon didn't have enough iron or volatile elements to form an atmosphere similar to ours, nor water.

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The Moon can help us estimate the ages of other planets -

Because our satellite has such a well-preserved crust, it allows us to study how old various surfaces are, and consequently use the data to estimate the age of other planets in our solar system.

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The Moon's craters were caused by asteroid impact -

Because the Moon has no atmosphere, it's vulnerable to asteroids and other celestial bodies crashing into its surface. Some of the Moon's craters date back billions of years.

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Earth's oldest rocks are younger than the Moon's youngest rocks -

The Moon's surface is not affected by as many geological phenomena as Earth's. This allows for rocks to be preserved without minimal disturbance. Some are nearly 4.6 billion years old!

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Solar wind varies in composition and intensity -

This was determined after astronauts placed an aluminum foil sheet on the moon and exposed it to solar winds. The data showed that solar winds indeed change.

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One area of the Moon has the lowest temperature ever recorded in the solar system -

The Hermite Crater has reached a whopping -415°F (around -212.8°C).

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The Moon is not perfectly round -

The Moon is, in fact, asymmetrical. It does look nice and round to the naked eye when it's full, but it's actually uneven. The Earth's gravitational force might be responsible for some of its asymmetry.

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The Moon helps Earth's magnetic field -

Our planet's protective magnetic field is created by the movement of liquid iron and nickel. The Moon's gravity helps this movement, strengthening the Earth's magnetic field.

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The Moon was once covered in lava -

This happened around 4.4-4.6 billion years ago, and it was followed by a number of asteroid impacts.

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The Moon is getting more distant from Earth -

The Moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) per year.

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The Moon trades rocks with our planet -

Meteorites ejected from the moon have been found on Earth, and asteroid debris from Earth has also been found on the Moon.

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The Moon has (at least) two deep pits -

These deep large holes, known as lunar pits, were discovered by NASA’s moon probe Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

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The Moon has caves that could be home for humans -

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery on the Moon: a potential home for future human inhabitants. An Italian research team has confirmed the existence of a cave, at least 100 meters (over 325 feet) deep, within a lunar pit. Visible to the naked eye from Earth, the pit is also where Apollo 11 landed in 1969. This underground cavity could provide essential protection from the harsh lunar environment, including radiation, extreme temperatures, and micrometeorites. Researchers believe there may be hundreds of similar caves, offering promising sites for establishing a permanent lunar base. While accessing these caves might pose challenges, the discovery is a significant step towards realizing human habitation on the Moon.

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The Moon's South Pole has tons of heavy metals -

The Moon’s South Pole-Aitken basin is home to a huge reserve of heavy metals. It's estimated that it's the remains of an iron-nickel asteroid dating back around four billion years.

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The Moon has a crust, mantle, and core -

Just like Earth. Except, its crust is about three times thicker than Earth’s.

Sources: (Stacker)

See also: The most anticipated astronomical events of 2021

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