Page 197 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

IT CAN’T BE TRUE! 195

FAST FACTS MOON FACE
The Moon’s orbit around Earth is not circular, so its distance
from Earth varies. If you drove to the Moon in a car at 70 mph
(110 kph), it would take 133 days (4½ months) to arrive when
the Moon is closest to Earth
(at its perigee),
or 149 days
(5 months) Perigee Apogee
when it is
farthest away 233,700 miles 251,655 miles
(at its apogee). (360,000 km) (405,000 km)
Early astronomers mistook
the dark areas of the Moon
for water and called them
“maria” (Latin for “seas”).
Added together, the diameters of Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and They are ancient impact
Neptune total about 241,000 miles (388,000 km). craters filled with solidified
They could easily fit between Earth and the lava. The lighter areas are
Moon when they are at their farthest apart. highland regions.

The Moon has about
one-quarter of
Earth’s diameter.

Neptune is
freezing cold,
with some of the
strongest winds in
the solar system.
... to
the Moon
Uranus is blue
because of methane
gas in its atmosphere.
Saturn takes about 10 hours
and 33 minutes to rotate on
its axis. Earth takes 24 hours.

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