The Moon

Part of Hall of the Universe.

Animation showing eight phases of the moon. 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

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.