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Claimed moons of Earth. This asteroid's orbit keeps it near the Earth, but not orbiting it in the usual sense. When analyzing its orbit from the perspective of different bodies, the presumed quasi-satellite does seem to have a more stable location near the Earth. The orbit of 2020 CD 3 around the Earth. The gray band is the orbit of the Moon.
Earth also has more than 20 known co-orbitals, including the asteroids 3753 Cruithne and 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, and the occasional temporary satellite, like 2020 CD 3; however, since they do not permanently orbit Earth, they are not considered moons. (See Other moons of Earth and Quasi-satellite.) Mars has two known moons, Phobos and Deimos ...
The Moon is Earth 's only natural satellite. It orbits at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,900 mi), about 30 times the diameter of Earth. Tidal forces between Earth and the Moon have over time synchronized the Moon's orbital period ( lunar month) with its rotation period ( lunar day) at 29.5 Earth days, causing the same side of the Moon ...
Some 4.5 billion years ago, when Earth was only 100 million years old or so, a Mars-sized protoplanet named Theia smashed into our planet, ejecting loads that eventually returned to the Earth’s ...
A natural satelliteis, in the most common usage, an astronomical bodythat orbitsa planet, dwarf planet, or small Solar System body(or sometimes another natural satellite). Natural satellites are colloquially referred to as moons, a derivation from the Moonof Earth. In the Solar System, there are six planetary satellite systemscontaining 288 ...
Earth is rounded into an ellipsoid with a circumference of about 40,000 km. It is the densest planet in the Solar System. Of the four rocky planets, it is the largest and most massive. Earth is about eight light-minutes away from the Sun and orbits it, taking a year (about 365.25 days) to complete one revolution.
The "harvest moon" (also known as the "barley moon" or "full corn moon") is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox (22 or 23 September), occurring anytime within two weeks before or after that date. [ 17] The "hunter's moon" is the full moon following it. The names are recorded from the early 18th century. [ 18]
Pluto has roughly one-sixth the mass of Earth's moon, and one-third its volume. Pluto has a moderately eccentric and inclined orbit, ranging from 30 to 49 astronomical units (4.5 to 7.3 billion kilometers ; 2.8 to 4.6 billion miles ) from the Sun. Light from the Sun takes 5.5 hours to reach Pluto at its orbital distance of 39.5 AU (5.91 billion ...