ME SPACE, HERE TO ARE 20 THE THINGS THEY MOON SHOULD KNOW

In a giant leap for space exploration, a Chinese spacecraft has become the first ever to land on the far side of the moon. The Chang’e-4 probe’s mission is a huge coup for China in its ambitions to lead the space race. The project is named in honour of a

1 According to NASA, the Moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth. 2 The Moon is 243, 318 miles from Earth – about 10 times the distance around the world. 3 The side of the Moon that we can see from Earth is called the near side while the other side is sometimes called the dark side despite the fact it’s illuminated by the Sun as much as the near side. 4 The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite. It goes around the Earth 13 times a year. 5 It stabilises Earth’s wobble, which led to a more stable climate for the planet and probably helped life evolve. The Moon also guides the ebb and flow of Earth’s oceans. 6 The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was the Soviet Luna 1 in 1959. 7 The fifth largest moon in the solar system, Earth’s Moon is the only place beyond Earth where humans have set foot. 8 The first person to set foot on the Moon was American astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1969. When he set his boot on the surface he said the immortal words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” 9 The Moon landing was an effort which involved 400,000 people, including black female mathematicians who were largely unrecognised until the 2017 film, Hidden Figures. 10 Twelve astronauts walked on the Moon’s surface and they were all men. 11 An estimated 500million people worldwide watched the moon landing, the largest television audience for a live broadcast at that time. 12 People didn’t know other moons existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610. 13 Earth’s moon, the longest known of all, was given the name “Selene” by the Greeks and “Luna” by the Romans, each a goddess. 14 The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth meaning the same side is always facing the Earth. 15 Temperatures on the Moon range from boiling hot to freezing cold. The lack of atmosphere means no sound can be heard and the sky always appears black. 16 A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. 17 The Moon has been deified in many cultures – usually in warm regions. 18 Frank Sinatra’s 1964 version of Fly Me to the Moon was the first music heard on the Moon when played on a portable cassette player by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin after he stepped on to the Moon, bottom. 19 With sales of more than 45million, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon became the band’s bestselling album, below left. 20 The Moon is not made of cheese. Its crust consists of oxygen, silicon, magnesium, iron, calcium, and aluminium, with trace elements such as titanium uranium and hydrogen.