Moon

The Moon is the nearest large natural object to Earth and has shaped human understanding of the sky for thousands of years.

In the TransitSatellite Solar System map, the Moon helps users understand that not everything in space orbits the Sun directly in the same way. Some objects, like moons and artificial satellites, orbit planets.

The Moon follows a path around Earth while the Earth-Moon system travels around the Sun. This layered motion is a useful way to explain how orbits can exist inside larger orbits.

That same idea helps users understand artificial satellites. A spacecraft can orbit Earth while Earth itself continues moving through the Solar System.

Because the Moon is familiar and visible, it can help students and skywatchers understand more complex orbital ideas before moving on to satellites, planets, and deep-space missions.

These linked mission pages explain how spacecraft have studied moon: their objectives, paths, instruments, and results. Each page carries its own mission record rather than repeating the planet description.