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Beyond the stars lie mysteries that twist everything we thought we understood.
Moons that fall, volcanoes that rage, and oceans concealed beneath frozen shells—each one stranger than the last.
What you’re about to read may change the way you look at our solar system forever.
In this blog, we’ll explore astonishing moon facts that most people get completely wrong.
5 Interesting Fun Facts About Planetary Moons
1. Mars’ moon Phobos is slowly moving toward the planet.
What do people usually think?
Some people believe that Phobos is gradually moving away from its planet, Mars.
You’re not going to believe it, but Phobos is not moving away from Mars; rather, it is moving towards it.
Here is the astonishing reality:
While it is true that Mars’ gravity is pulling Phobos, the distance between the two is much shorter than you think.
Phobos orbits a mere 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) above the surface of Mars.
Despite its size, it also exerts tidal forces on the Red Planet (Mars), which bulges by a fraction of a millimeter along the path of Phobos.
Indeed, Phobos is moving toward Mars and orbits the planet faster than Mars rotates on its axis.
2. Footprints on the Moon could last millions of years because there’s no weather.
What do people usually think?
Some people assume that astronauts’ footprints would immediately fade away, just like how our footprints are washed away by rain or wind here on Earth.
But did you know that in Moon, footprints last over a million years?
Here is the astonishing reality:
Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin were the only astronauts who landed on the Moon and left footprints, while Michael Collins remained in orbit and never set foot on the lunar surface.
According to the NASA Scientific Visualization Studio, their footprints remain to this day.
Here is why!
Without water and slow land erosion, footprints on the Moon could last for a million years.
The moon doesn’t have an atmosphere, which means there is no wind available that could erase the footprints.
3. Triton, Neptune’s moon, orbits backward compared to most moons.
What do people usually think:
People think that moons go around in the same way that the planet rotates.
Most moons in our solar system follow predictable orbits, which is why people tend to believe that retrograde or reverse orbits are very rare.
However, you won’t believe this, but Neptune’s moon orbits backward.
Here is the astonishing reality:
Triton’s retrograde orbit around Neptune, which runs contrary to the planet’s rotation, strongly indicates that this moon was likely a captured Kuiper Belt object.
The capture of Triton suggests a dynamic history of the outer solar system, as retrograde satellites are generally considered to be remnants of earlier systems disrupted by gravitational interactions.
4. Io, Jupiter’s Moon, is home to hundreds of active volcanoes.
What do people usually think?
Many people believe that volcanoes are unusual on planet Earth or possibly even on Mars.
This is because in nearly all instances, we visualize and think that volcanic eruptions occur on Earth, as we have firsthand experience with it.
But what if I told you most of the volcanic eruptions in the solar system happen not on Earth?
Here is the astonishing reality:
Io, the innermost of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, is recognized as the most volcanically active body in our solar system, characterized by over 400 volcanoes, with around 150 erupting at any given moment, primarily driven by tidal heating from its gravitational interactions with Jupiter and its neighboring moons.
The volcanic activity on Io is evidenced by dramatic eruptions, including plumes that reach heights of up to 330 km, as observed by the New Horizons spacecraft.
This intense activity not only reshapes Io’s landscape but also significantly supports its thin atmosphere, which is primarily generated through outgassing and sublimation of surface materials.
5. Europa, another of Jupiter’s moons, likely has an ocean beneath its ice.
What do people usually think?
People usually view the moon as a lifeless snowball. It has no chance of life or any liquid water.
They are regarded as frozen and uninhabitable, and they are little more than a thin layer of ice covering the surface.
The theory that there could be an ocean located under the surface of the moon sounds incredible to most people.
Here is the astonishing reality:
Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons, is covered by a thick shell of ice that conceals a vast, salty liquid ocean beneath, which is thought to provide conditions suitable for life.
This ocean is kept warm by internal heat generated from tidal forces exerted by Jupiter’s gravity, which causes deformation within Europa, promoting geothermal activity.
The European Space Agency (ESA) states that this unique combination of a subsurface ocean in contact with a rocky interior makes Europa a prime candidate in the search for extraterrestrial life, presenting an environment analogous to Earth’s deep oceans.
Wrap-up
The cosmos is full of mysteries, and these moons are proof that truth is often stranger than fiction.
From silent footprints to backward orbits, every fact is a reminder of how little we really know.
One day, these very moons may reveal answers to questions we’ve barely dared to ask.
Did you enjoy these surprising space facts?
If you’d like to learn more about the wonders of the universe, drop a comment and let us know!
