People have always wondered about the Moon.
In ancient times, some thought it had the powers of a god. Astronomers are scientists who study space. They showed that the brightest thing in our nighttime sky was really just a rock traveling around Earth. But even after that, scientists did not know what the Moon was like. Many imagined they would find a new form of life. In the twentieth century, humans explored the Moon and learned more about it.
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All through history, people have dreamed of walking on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong made that dream real. He was the first man to walk on the Moon.

▲ It’s been said that a full Moon causes chaos and madness. Some say crime gets worse, dogs bite more, and people go a little crazy. The word lunatic actually means “moonstruck.” It comes from luna. That’s the Latin word for “moon.” However, scientists say there’s no proof that the Moon has any effect on how people act.

◀ Many ancient peoples believed the Moon was a god. The early Egyptians worshiped the Moon god Khonsu. Aztecs made offerings to Metztli, the Lady of the Night. Greeks thought the Moon was the goddess Selene, or Artemis, riding her silver chariot across the sky. That’s why the study of the Moon is called selenology.

▲ At the ocean, you can see the water level rise and fall about every 12 hours. This is called the tides. They happen mainly because of the pull of gravity between Earth and the Moon. A high tide takes place on the side of Earth facing the Moon. When that part turns away from the Moon, we get low tide.
