Why is the moon shrinking? Find out
Technology
Turns out, the moon is slowly shrinking as it cools down from the inside.
Researchers at the National Air and Space Museum's Centre for Earth and Planetary Studies, using data from NASA missions, spotted this change by studying lobate scarps, basically, cliffs on the lunar surface that show how the moon's crust is buckling over time.
Moon's importance to earth
The moon isn't just a pretty nightlight—it actually keeps earth steady.
It helps maintain our planet's tilt (which gives us regular seasons) and has stretched our days from eight hours to 24 over billions of years.
Plus, its gravity makes tides much stronger; without it, tides would be way weaker and earth's climate could get pretty wild.