The Moon

Yesbut just barely.

In contrast to Earth’s thick layers of airthe Moon’s exosphere is a bit like the haze you get when you whack a dirty rug with a broom: it includes a sampling of particles knocked free by impact. But instead of a rugthese particles come from the lunar surface. Instead of flying through the airthey’re ejected into near-emptiness. And instead of a broomthe Moon is pummeled by space debris.

Earth's Moon is covered in craters.

Lunar craters tell us the history not only of the Moonbut of other worldstoo. On the Moonwhere there’s no liquid water or windevidence of our solar system's impact history has been preserved for billions of years.

Earth's view of the half-sunlit Moon shifts throughout the month.

As our perspective changeswe observe a pattern known as lunar phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarterand waning crescent.

Earth’s Moon was born out of destruction.

There are several theories about our Moon’s formationbut almost all share this point in common. Our early solar system was the scene of violent smashups that could end in obliteration or newlarger objects. Those mashed-together objects make up the planetsmoonsasteroids and other solar system objects we know today.

There’s water on the Moon.

Ancient ice hidden deep in permanently shadowed craters. H20 molecules on the sunlit lunar surface. Humanity's search for water on the Moon began hundreds of years ago. Here's a brief history of discoveries leading up to the confirmation of its presence.