Here’s to Earth’s best buddy. 🥂 The Moon, Earth’s loyal celestial neighbor, is believed to have formed about 4.5 billion years ago after a Mars-sized object collided with Earth—the debris from this collision solidified into what we now know as the Moon. Despite its tumultuous beginning, our relationship with the Moon is a beneficial one. The Moon's gravity moderates our planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate. The Moon also causes tides, creating a rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years. Looking to the future, the lunar surface will provide shelter for a long-term presence in space. The Moon’s South Pole contains frozen water which may be used to create drinking water, breathable air, and even fuel. Furthermore, the Moon will allow us to test technology in the harsh conditions of space, technology that may one day land the first humans on Mars. Image Description: The waxing gibbous Moon is pictured from the iss as it orbited 268 miles abo...