Since time immemorial, humans have gazed up at the vastness of space and contemplated the wonders it holds. Perhaps nothing has captivated our interest more than Earth’s only natural satellite, the Moon.
One question that many have no doubt pondered is the relative size of the Moon in comparison to Earth. The Moon’s diameter is around 2,159 miles (3,475 km), which is smaller than the width of numerous countries, including Russia, Canada, the United States, China, Brazil, and Australia. It is less than a third of the total diameter of Earth.
While some countries are wider than the Moon, the surface area of the Moon is much greater. The surface area of Australia, for example, is 2.97 million square miles, while the Moon’s is 14.6 million square miles. This makes the Moon almost five times larger in terms of surface area.
Moving beyond countries, do any continents have a greater surface area than the Moon? As a continent besides a country, Australia isn’t in the same league as the Moon. Africa and North America come closer. However, only one continent takes the prize: Asia. With a surface area of 17.2 million square miles, Asia can boldly assert that it is the only continent bigger than the Moon.
More Moon marvels:
- The Moon drifts around 1.6 inches (4 cm) away from the Earth every year.
- It takes 27 Earth days for the Moon to make a complete orbit around Earth.
- When in full sunlight, the Moon reaches temperatures of approximately 260 degrees Fahrenheit (127 degrees C). Temperatures fall to -280 degrees Fahrenheit (-173 degrees C) when in darkness.
- There were active volcanoes on the Moon millions of years ago, but today they are all dormant.
