The Astronomical — Moon

Destination: Moon

This 8-minute film gives an overview of the past, present, and future of Moon exploration, from the Lunar cataclysm to ESA’s vision of what Lunar exploration could be.

Why is the Moon important for science? What resources does the Moon have? Is there water? Why should we go back and how will we do it?

— Dark/Far Side Of The Moon —

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is one of the largest natural satellites in the Solar System, and, among planetary satellites, the largest relative to the size of the planet it orbits. — Wikipedia

How Did The Moon Form?

There are various theories about how the moon was created, but recent evidence indicates it formed when a huge collision tore a chunk of Earth away.

The leading explanation for how the moon formed was that a giant impact knocked off the raw ingredients for the moon off the primitive molten Earth and into orbit. Scientists have suggested the impactor was roughly 10 percent the mass of Earth, about the size of Mars. 

Because Earth and the moon are so similar in composition, researchers have concluded that the impact must have occurred about 95 million years after the formation of the solar system, give or take 32 million years. (The solar system is roughly 4.6 billion years old.)