Moon

Scientists say a giant impact knocked off the raw ingredients for the moon off the primitive molten Earth and into orbit.

Related Topics: Earth, Apollo Program, Moon Phases 

Latest Updates

An illustration of the night sky on Dec. 07 showing the full Cold Moon occulting Mars.

Mars at opposition will meet up with the full moon next week (Dec. 7). Here's how to see it

By Joe Rao published

The full moon will appear in very close proximity to a brilliant Mars in the evening of Wednesday (Dec. 7) as the Red Planet reaches opposition.

close up of orion spacecraft with earth very far in the distance

NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft leaves moon's orbit to head home

By Brett Tingley published

NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft successfully completed a roughly two-minute lunar departure burn on Thursday (Dec. 1) to begin heading home after successful lunar orbits.

On Nov. 28, 2022, NASA's Orion spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth during the Artemis 1 mission when it was 268,563 miles (432210 kilometers) away from our home planet.

Watch as NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft leaves lunar orbit today (Dec. 1)

By Mike Wall last updated

NASA's Orion capsule will perform a crucial engine burn to depart lunar orbit Thursday (Dec. 1) at 4:54 p.m. EST, and you can watch the action live.

NASA's Artemis 1 mission launches toward the moon atop a Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022.

Artemis 1 moon rocket, NASA's most powerful ever, aced its debut launch, agency says

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Space Launch System megarocket hit all of its marks during its first-ever liftoff two weeks ago, agency officials said.

The half-illuminated moon as it appears during the first quarter moon.

See the half-lit first quarter moon on Wednesday (Nov. 30)

By Robert Lea published

On the final day before December, the moon will be exactly halfway between the new moon and the full moon with its face half-illuminated.

On Nov. 28, 2022, NASA's Orion spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth during the Artemis 1 mission when it was 268,563 miles (432210 kilometers) away from our home planet.

Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft hits halfway point of epic moon mission

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Orion spacecraft hit the halfway point of its historic Artemis 1 moon mission in fine form.

Artist's illustration of ICON's envisioned Project Olympus lunar construction system in action on the moon.

Building on the moon: NASA awards Texas company $57 million for lunar construction system

By Mike Wall published

NASA just awarded the Texas-based company ICON $57.2 million for its Project Olympus, which is working to develop technology that will allow humanity to build outposts on the moon and Mars.

Tokyo-based company ispace's Hakuto-R moon lander is seen here being readied for its liftoff atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which is scheduled for Nov. 30, 2022.

SpaceX will launch Japanese moon lander, UAE rover early Thursday. Here's how to watch.

By Mike Wall published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Japanese lander and UAE rover to the moon early Thursday (Dec. 1), and you can watch the action live.

spacecraft in front with moon and earth in behind

Wow! Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft captures live view of Earth and moon from deep space (video)

By Elizabeth Howell published

There's an epic livestream running on the Artemis 1 moon mission, showcasing live views of the Orion spacecraft as it flies in a distant retrograde lunar orbit.

The Earth and moon as seen by NASA's Artemis I Orion spacecraft as it approached a lunar flyby on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022.

NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft reaches maximum distance from Earth today

By Elizabeth Howell published

The Artemis 1 spacecraft will be farthest from Earth Monday (Nov. 28) before turning around to return home.

An illustration of the night sky on Monday (Nov. 28) depicting the conjunction of Saturn and a young crescent moon.

See the crescent moon visit Saturn in the night sky Monday (Nov. 28)

By Robert Lea published

When the moon shares the same right ascension with Saturn, the solar system's second-largest planet, it will offer skywatchers a guide to observing the gas giant and its stunning ring system.

Artist's illustration of NASA's BioSentinel cubesat, which launched with the Artemis 1 mission on Nov. 16, 2022.

Artemis 1's BioSentinel cubesat aces lunar flyby, readies for biology mission

By Andrew Jones published

The shoebox-sized BioSentinel spacecraft, which launched on NASA's Artemis 1 mission, is all set to begin its deep-space biology experiment after making a flyby of the moon.

spacecraft at right with the worm logo 'nasa' running around the top. behind is the moon with the black of space visible

Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft captures selfie as Earth sets behind moon (video)

By Elizabeth Howell published

A new video shows NASA's Orion spacecraft capturing a selfie with the background Earth setting behind the moon, along with a suite of other timelapses during its lunar voyage.

NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft captured this selfie shortly after completing an engine burn that inserted the capsule into lunar orbit on Nov. 25, 2022.

Artemis 1's Orion spacecraft enters orbit around the moon

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft arrived in orbit around the moon on Friday afternoon (Nov. 25) after acing an 88-second engine burn.

two close-up rocket views side by side with lots of smoke and steam billowing underneath

Artemis 1 flies away from the launch pad in epic Orion spacecraft video

By Elizabeth Howell published

The Artemis 1 launch on Nov. 16 cataloged fresh footage of the launch pad down below, receding as NASA's huge Space Launch System rocket flew into space over a dark pad.

close-up of spacecraft with spindly legs on the surface of the moon with the black of space in behind

SpaceX to launch Japanese moon lander, UAE rover on Nov. 30

By Elizabeth Howell published

Tokyo-based ispace aims to pull off the first-ever soft landing on the moon by a private company — and its Hakuto-R lander will deploy a UAE rover, if all goes to plan.

Incredibly detailed photograph of the surface of the moon covered in craters of varying size.

Artemis 1's Orion spacecraft captures stunning photos of the moon during its closest approach

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Artemis 1's Orion spacecraft captured a series of detailed images of the moon during its the closest approach on Nov. 21.

Jay Pasachoff views an annular solar eclipse in 2016. (Pasachoff is wearing solar viewing glasses, not regular sunglasses).

Astronomer and solar eclipse expert Jay Pasachoff dies at age 79

By Robert Lea published

Jay Pasachoff perhaps witnessed more solar eclipses than anyone else. But his greatest contribution to science may have been his public outreach and inspiration of future generations of scientists.

orion spacecraft with the earth far in behind

Artemis 1's Orion spacecraft watches Earth rise over the shadowed moon (video)

By Elizabeth Howell published

Shortly after the Orion spacecraft finished a crucial engine burn near the moon on Monday (Nov. 21), it spotted Earth rising above our shadowed neighbor.

A photo of the moon and Earth taken by cameras on board NASA's Orion capsule as it makes a close approach to the lunar surface.

NASA loses contact with Artemis 1's Orion spacecraft for 47 minutes

By Mike Wall published

NASA unexpectedly lost contact with its Artemis 1 Orion capsule early Wednesday morning (Nov. 23), for reasons that remain unclear.