Mean distance from Earth: | 384,400 km |
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Diameter: | 3,476 km |
Mass: | 0.0123 Earths |
Density: | 3.34 grams per cubic centimeter |
Surface temperature: | 248 F to -274 F |
Orbital period (Synodic): | 29.53 days |
Rotational period: | 27.3 days |
The Earth and Moon form a double-planet system. The Moon is the closest astronomical body to the Earth and we know more about it than any other object in the heavens. Many surface features are visible to the unaided eye, and a pair of binoculars reveals a great amount of detail. A small telescope shows vast seas of lava, large mountain ranges and hundreds of craters of all sizes. Studies of the 382 kg of lunar rock and soil brought back by the Apollo missions have revealed much about the early history of both the Moon and the Earth.