In geophysical terms, the Moon is a planetary-mass object or satellite planet. Its mass is 1.2% that of the Earth, and its diameter is 3,474 km (2,159 mi), roughly one-quarter of Earth's (about as wide as the contiguous United States).
The Moon makes Earth more livable, sets the rhythm of ocean tides, and keeps a record of our solar system's history. Explore NASA lunar science here.
A new study highlights the volcanic Rimae Bode region as a scientifically promising destination for China's first crewed moon landing mission, which the nation wants to achieve by 2030.
Track the moon phase today with our interactive moon phase calculator. Get details on the current moon phase and the next full moon date.
What is the moon made of, and how did it form? Learn about the moon's violent origins, how its phases shaped the earliest calendars, and how humans first explored Earth's only natural satellite half a century ago.
Find planets, stars, and constellations in your night sky. See the Moon's position in its orbit around Earth in real-time as well as past and future Moon phases, illumination, distance from Earth, and latitude.
The Moon was the first new world on which humans set foot; the information brought back from those expeditions, together with that collected by automated spacecraft and remote-sensing observations, has led to a knowledge of the Moon that surpasses that of any other cosmic body except Earth itself.
Moon Phase for today and tonight with current lunar phase, illumination percentage and Moons age. Find out what the Moon Phase is on any other day of the year.