I am the Earth’s only natural satellite. I am held in orbit by a mutual attraction to Earth’s gravity. Ocean tides are a direct result of my gravitational forces pulling on the Earth.
I was created when Earth was impacted by a massive object at the beginning of the Universe. The expelled material formed me! The half million craters on my surface were created by impacting meteors and asteroids.
I don’t emit my own light. It is the Sun’s rays reflecting off my face that produce my brightness. My orbital and rotational periods are the same, so people on Earth can only see one side of me. Sometimes, my orbit takes me directly between the Earth and the Sun, causing a solar eclipse and plunging parts of the world into total darkness...but only for a few minutes.
I am the only celestial body that Earthlings have visited so far: Mars, you may be next!
