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The moon is neither. Any object that revolves around a planet is called a moon. They are in their own class.

Name and etymology

The proper English name for Earth's natural satellite is, simply, the Moon (capitalized).

Moon is a Germanic word, related to the Latin mensis (month). It is ultimately a derivative of the Proto-Indo-European root me-, also represented in measure (time), with reminders of its importance in measuring time in words derived from it like Monday, month and menstrual.

The related adjective is lunar, as well as an adjectival prefix seleno- and suffix -selene (from selēnē, σελήνη, the Ancient Greek word for the Moon). In English, the word moon exclusively meant "the Moon" until 1665, when it was extended to refer to the recently discovered natural satellites of other planets Subsequently, these objects were given distinct names to avoid confusion.

The Moon is occasionally referred to by its Latin name Luna, primarily in Science Fiction.

Two sides of the Moon

The Moon is in synchronous rotation, which means it rotates about its axis in about the same time it takes to orbit the Earth.

This results in it nearly always keeping the same face turned towards the Earth

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The Moon used to rotate at a faster rate, but early in its history, its rotation slowed and became locked in this orientation as a result of frictional effects associated with tidal deformations caused by the Earth

Small variations (libration) in the angle from which the Moon is seen allow about 59% of its surface to be seen from the Earth (but only half at any insta

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Bethel Grady

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Related Questions

What is the center of a planet star or moon?

The center of a planet star and or moon is the core


Why is a moon not a planet?

A planet orbits a star such as the sun. A moon orbits a planet.


How is planet different from moon?

A planet orbits a star whereas a moon orbits a planet.


What is Earth a moon a star a planet or galaxy?

a planet


How can you tell something is a planet and not a moon?

A planet is in direct orbit around a central star, while a moon is in orbit around a large body (a planet) rather than in a direct orbit around a star. The moon orbits the planet, while the planet orbits the sun.


Does the moon and sun count as a planet?

No. The moon is a satellite and the sun is a star.


Is the evening star the moon?

No. The evening star is actually the planet Venus.


Is the moon a planet or a galaxy?

Neither -- the Moon is technically a satellite. It is in orbit around a planet. That planet orbits around a star. That star is one of billions of other stars which form a galaxy.


What is the moon if it is neither a planet or a star?

The moon is a moon, also known as a natural satellite.


Is the moon the closet planet to the earth?

The moon that revolves around the earth is not a star, it is part of the earth that was thrown off into space when the earth was hit by a large asteroid early in its development, about 30 million years after the earth first was formed. The closest star to the Earth is our Sun, it is a star and it is called Sol.


How the moon and the planet shine?

That's because the sun's(or the star in that solar system) light reflects of the moon or the planet


What moves in a circle around a planet or star?

A planet orbits a sun, a moon orbits a planet