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May 6, 2024, 02:21 PM IST WION Desk The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite orbiting around our planet at an average distance of about 384,400 kilometres (238,900 miles). The Moon doesn't emit its own light; rather, it reflects sunlight. As it orbits Earth, different portions of its surface are illuminated, leading to the various phases of the Moon that we observe from Earth. Despite being much smaller than Earth, the Moon exerts a gravitational force on our planet. This force is responsible for the ocean tides, as well as causing Earth's rotation to slow down over time. The dark patches visible on the Moon's surface are called "maria" (Latin for "seas"). These areas are made of solidified lava flows from ancient volcanic eruptions. The Moon experiences extreme temperature variations due to its lack of atmosphere. Surface temperatures can range from as low as -173°C (-280°F) during the lunar night to as high as 127°C (260°F) during the lunar day. The Moon has been visited by humans. The Apollo programme conducted by NASA in the 1960s and 1970s successfully landed 12 astronauts on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. These missions provided valuable scientific data and brought back lunar samples for study.