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The usual English proper name for Earth's natural satellite is simply Moon, with a capital M. [19] [20] The noun moon is derived from Old English mōna, which (like all its Germanic cognates) stems from Proto-Germanic *mēnōn, [21] which in turn comes from Proto-Indo-European *mēnsis 'month' [22] (from earlier *mēnōt, genitive *mēneses) which may be related to the verb 'measure' (of time).
Every human language has its own word for the Earth's Moon, and these words are the ones normally used in astronomical contexts.However, a number of fanciful or mythological names for the Moon have been used in the context of astronomy (an even larger number of lunar epithets have been used in non-astronomical contexts).
In 2018, it was confirmed two dust clouds orbited Earth at the Moon's L 4 and L 5 points, [27] known as the Kordylewski clouds. These were nicknamed "Earth's hidden moons". [28] The interpretation of some bodies has led to sometimes bold statements in the astronomy press, though often allowing for other interpretations: [2]
Observing the cold moon. The cold moon’s name is a nod to the bitter weather typically found in the Northern Hemisphere this time of year. ... when Earth’s axis is tilted the farthest away ...
Earth has one Moon, the largest moon of any rocky planet in the Solar System and the largest body typically described as a moon that orbits anything in hydrostatic equilibrium in relation to the primary object by mass and diameter other than Charon and Pluto, the latter two being dwarf planets revolving around each other.
The Chimney Rock (Colorado) Interpretive Association explains further: "The moon’s orbit of Earth oscillates or wobbles, gradually causing the moon to rise at different points on the horizon ...
Earth's natural satellite is simply known as the Moon, or the equivalent in the language being spoken (for instance, two astronomers speaking French would call it la Lune). English-language science fiction often adopts the Latin name "Luna" while using the English "Moon" as a term for natural satellites in general in order to better distinguish ...
The Moon's heavily cratered far-side. The origin of the Moon is usually explained by a Mars-sized body striking the Earth, creating a debris ring that eventually collected into a single natural satellite, the Moon, but there are a number of variations on this giant-impact hypothesis, as well as alternative explanations, and research continues into how the Moon came to be formed.