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The Moon represents the personal self, the feelings and the unconscious. It is a reflection of the true self, represented by the Sun. The Moon also stands for security and instinctual or habitual patterns, as well as the ability to relate to others, and to be nurturing to others. The Moon rules Cancer and is exalted in Taurus. It is often contrasted with the Sun as the female receptive principle versus the masculine or positive principle. The Moon represents the feminine and nurturing part of oneself. In a male chart, the Moon represents the feminine within, or the 'anima' and also indicates the type of partner you will attract. The Moon also represents an attunement from the past, which operates at an instinctive or habitual level in your present life.
Our moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate, and creating a rhythm that have guided humans for thousands of years. The Moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth and the debris formed into the most prominent feature in our night sky.
| Planet | Mass (10x24 kg) | Volume (10x10 km3 | Equatorial radius (km) | Polar radius (km) | Mean density (kg/m3) | Surface gravity (m/s2) | Surface acceleration (m/s2) | Escape velocity (km/s) |
| Moon | 0.07349 | 2.1958 | 1738.1 | 1736.0 | 3350 | 1.62 | 1.62 | 2.38 |
| Earth | 5.9736 | 108.321 | 6378.1 | 6356.8 | 5515 | 9.80 | 9.78 | 11.2 |
| Synodic or Lunar Month | Moon to Moon | Full moon to the next | 29 Days, 12 Hours, 33 Minutes, 2 seconds |
| Sidereal Month | Star to Star | One cycle around earth using a fixed star. | 27 Days, 7 Hours, 43 Minutes, 11.5 Seconds |
| Anomalistic Month | Perigee To Perigee or Apogee To Apogee | Point to Point return, either closest or furthest from earth | 27 Days, 13 Hours, 18 Minutes, 33.2 Seconds |
| Nodical or Draconic Month | Node to Node | Time it takes the moon to return to the same point in its orbit where it intersects the ecliptic, the apparent annual path of the sun | 27 Days, 5 Hours, 5 Minutes, 35.8 Seconds |
| Tropical Month | First point of Aries to first point of Aries | Time it takes to travel through the 12 constellations of the zodiac | 27 Days, 7 Hours, 43 Minutes, 4.7 Seconds |
Diurnal temperature range: >100 K to <400 K (roughly -250 F to +250 F)
Total mass of atmosphere: ~25,000 kg
Surface pressure (night): 3 x 10-15 bar (2 x 10-12 torr)
Abundance at surface: 2 x 105 particles/cm3
Estimated Composition (particles per cubic cm):
Helium 4 (4He) - 40,000
Neon 20 (20Ne) - 40,000
Hydrogen (H2) - 35,000
Argon 40 (40Ar) - 30,000
Neon 22 (22Ne) - 5,000
Argon 36 (36Ar) - 2,000
Methane - 1000
Ammonia - 1000
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - 1000
Trace Oxygen (O+), Aluminum (Al+), Silicon (Si+) Possible Phosphorus (P+),
Sodium (Na+), Magnesium (Mg+)
Composition of the tenuous lunar atmosphere is poorly known and variable,
these are estimates of the upper limits of the nighttime ambient atmosphere composition.
Daytime levels were difficult to measure due to heating and out gassing of Apollo surface experiments.
Technical Information courtesy of Nasa
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