The Moon: Earth's Natural Satellite — Reading Comprehension

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. A satellite is something that orbits, or moves around, a planet. The Moon is much smaller than Earth, but it plays an important role in our lives.

The Moon travels around Earth in a path called an orbit. It takes about 27 days for the Moon to complete one trip around our planet. As the Moon moves, we see different shapes in the sky. These shapes are called phases of the Moon. The main phases are new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. The phases change because of how sunlight shines on the Moon as it orbits Earth.

The Moon does not make its own light. It shines because it reflects, or bounces back, light from the Sun. At night, the Moon can look very bright, especially during the full moon phase.

The Moon's gravity is weaker than Earth's gravity because the Moon is smaller. Gravity is the force that pulls things toward each other. The Moon's gravity affects the tides in Earth's oceans. Tides are the regular rise and fall of ocean water. When the Moon is overhead, its gravity pulls the water closer, causing high tide.

Astronauts have visited the Moon to learn more about it. In 1969, the first astronauts landed on the Moon. They collected samples of rocks and took many pictures. Today, scientists still study the Moon to understand space and how our solar system works.

Interesting Fact: The Moon is slowly moving away from Earth—about 3.8 centimeters each year! 

What is the Moon?

How long does the Moon orbit Earth?

What causes the Moon to shine?

Why do we see Moon phases?

What does the Moon's gravity cause?

What did astronauts collect on the Moon?

The Moon is moving away from Earth.

What is a 'satellite'?