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This portal provides basic knowledge on astronomy and highlights current research projects and collaborations in Switzerland.

Image: ESO

The Earth - the Moon

The Earth's Moon photographed from the International Space Station (ISS).
The Earth's Moon photographed from the International Space Station (ISS).
The Earth's Moon photographed from the International Space Station (ISS).Image: ESA/NASA
Image: ESA/NASA

The Earth's Moon is one light second away from Earth and the only celestial body beyond Earth where humans have ever landed. Its density is just 3.3 grams per cubic centimeter, compared to Earth's 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter. As a result, the gravitational force on the Moon is much weaker.

Since the 1950s, missions to the Moon have taken place, with the USA and the Soviet Union competing for dominance. Both nations were determined to be the first to successfully land humans on the Moon. Ultimately, in 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 mission achieved this historic milestone, landing astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins on the Moon.

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