The Moon, Earth's only natural satellite, is a celestial body that orbits our planet approximately every 27 days. It is tidally locked, meaning the same side always faces Earth. The Moon's surface is characterized by vast, dark plains called maria (Latin for "seas"), impact craters of varying sizes, and towering mountains. Its gravity is about 1/6th of Earth's, and it has no atmosphere, resulting in extreme temperature variations. The Moon plays a crucial role in stabilizing Earth's axial tilt and creating tides, and it has been a source of fascination and scientific study for millennia, with the first human landing occurring in 1969.
