The+Moon

=__**The Moon**__= The Moon is earth s only natural satellite and is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. It is the largest natural satellite in the Solar System, as in size of its planet. It is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face. It is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun, although its surface is actually very dark, similar to coal. Its prominence in the sky and its cycle of phases have since ancient times made the Moon an important cultural influence on language, the calendar , art and mythology. The Moon's current orbital distance, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth, causes it to be the same size in the sky as the Sun allowing the Moon to cover the Sun in total solar eclipses.