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By Christopher Swart
The moon was formed ~4.5 billion years ago, about 30–50 million years after the origin of the Solar System, out of debris thrown into orbit by a massive collision between a smaller proto-Earth and another planetoid, about the size of Mars.
The Moon is the Earth's only natural satellite
It is the fifth largest moon in the Solar System
The average distance from the Moon to the Earth is 384403 kilometres (238857 miles)
The Moon orbits the Earth every 27.3 days.
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The Moon (or Luna) is the Earth's only natural satellite and was formed 4.6 billion years ago around some 30–50 million years after the formation of the solar system. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth meaning the same side is always facing the Earth.
Perhaps the most important effect of the Moon is the way it stabilizes our rotation. When the Earth rotates it wobbles slightly back and forth on its axis. It's like a top, which doesn't simply spin in a vertical position on a table or the floor. But without the Moon we'd be wobbling much more.
With the Moon no longer there, the oceans of the world become much calmer. The Sun still has an effect on them (known as solar tides), so surfers wouldn't be completely devoid of waves. But the oceans would largely become serene. This has a dire effect on life on Earth.
The Moon is about 4.5 billion years old and is the only natural satellite in our Solar System.