The Moon
Part of Hall of the Universe.
Can you find the Moon? Each night, the Moon looks a little different: sometimes it's almost round, and other times it's just a sliver. Check out today's Moon phase. And to explore why the Moon looks different each night, check out the Moon Watch Flip Book.
Moon phases, ©AMNH; Moon illustration by Vecteezy
Moon phases, ©AMNH; Moon illustration by Vecteezy
The Moon is a dead world. It has no atmosphere or water, so it cannot support life. The mountain building and erosive forces that have shaped the Earth do not exist on the Moon. Instead the Moon’s surface has been shaped largely by impacts. From Earth we can see only one side of the Moon. Here, you can also investigate its hidden side.
The topography of this model was portrayed by Don Davis, refined from Clementine mission data with reference to Lunar Orbiter and other photography.
In This Section
Exhibit
The Moon Model
The topography of this model is from Smith et al., 1997, and is based on data acquired during the Clementine mission.
Exhibit
Your Weight on the Moon
Interactive exhibits include floor scales that display a visitor’s weight on Mars, Jupiter and the Sun.
Exhibit
Basalt from the Moon
Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin collected this sample of basalt from the Moon on August 1, 1971.
Exhibit
Moon Rock
The Museum has four Moon rocks. All four were collected by astronauts during the Apollo lunar missions in the 1970s.