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Article: moon
- Article from:
- The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
CopyrightThe Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information)
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moon natural satellite of a planet (see
satellite, natural
) or dwarf planet, in particular, the single natural satellite of the
earth
.
The Earth-Moon System
The moon is the earth's nearest neighbor in space. In addition to its proximity, the moon is also exceptional in that it is quite massive compared to the earth itself, the ratio of their masses being far larger than the similar ratios of other natural satellites to the planets they orbit (though that of
Charon
and the dwarf planet
Pluto
exceeds that of the moon and earth). For this reason, the earth-moon system is sometimes considered a double planet. It is the center of the earth-moon system, rather than the center of ...
Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:
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Article: Moon's existence keeps Earth's climate balanced
Chicago Sun-Times;
December 12, 1999 ;
700+ words
... ... What would life on Earth be like if there were no moon? A. So different maybe ... show that without the moon, Earth's tilt in its orbital ... is unclear. So the moon does much more than ... stabilizing influence on Earth's climate." Q ...
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