Moon has been the subject of various works — from academic papers to literary, musical, and cinematic pieces. It shows just how the Earth’s lone satellite has captivated the interest of many. On top of these, there’s also consistent demand for moon globes. And customers are buying them for a number of reasons, ranging from educational to more personal ones.

What’s it about the moon that gravitates our attention to it? Here are nine amazing lunar facts and trivia that you need to know.

1.It is estimated to be 4.53 billion years old. Scientists theorize that the moon was formed from debris caused by the smashing of Earth during its early stages and rock as huge as Mars. The Earth is about 4.543 billion years old.

2.It is the fifth-largest natural satellite in our solar system. The moon measures 2.16 miles in diameter (which is about the same size as China’s width — 2.19 miles). It is also ¼ the size of our planet.

3.It has a dark surface. The moon appears bright because of its surface’s ability to reflect sunlight. In reality, the lunar surface is actually dark; it is only marginally brighter than worn asphalt. The dark lunar plains are called “maria,” which is Latin for “seas.”

4.The dust in the moon smells like gunpowder. Moondust refers to the minute particles formed after ultra-small meteorites smash into the moon’s surface. When Apollo astronauts landed on the moon in the 60s, moondust got into their spacecraft. The particles smelt like gunpowder.

5.It has quakes, too. If our planet has earthquakes, our satellite has moonquakes. This phenomenon happens because of several reasons (e.g. Vibrations from meteorites’ impact, Earth’s gravitational influence). They’re weaker but can last longer (up to 30 minutes).

6.It is responsible for Earth’s tides. Moon’s gravitational pull also affects us. And it comes in the form of tides. The bulges in our waters brought about by the lunar gravitational force move, causing some places to experience high and low tides.

7.More than 200 lunar eclipses will take place in the 21st century. A lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth, and the moon aligns and the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow. According to NASA, there will be 228 lunar eclipses in the 21st century.

8.It is gradually moving away from Earth. Similar to how Earth moves away from the sun at 15 cm per year, the moon also microscopically drifts away from our planet. It moves about 3.8 cm annually.

9.We only see one side of the moon from our planet. From Earth, only one side of the moon is visible. According to data gathered from expeditions, the far side of our satellite has fewer maria.

Why Buy Moon Globes

Getting lunar globes is the closest thing to reaching the moon. Available in varying themes and designs, their goal is essentially the same: to replicate the wonder of our planet’s very own satellite.

Through a moon globe, you can have a closer look at the celestial body’s meteorite-catered topography. There are also those that show the historic Apollo landing sites. If you or someone you know is a selenophile, this unique globe can make you feel over the moon.