Moon vs. Planetoid — What's the Difference?

Earth's only natural satellite, visible by reflected sunlight.

Small celestial bodies that do not qualify as full-sized planets.

An integral part of Earth's natural cycle and folklore.

Studied to understand more about the early solar system.

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. At about one-quarter the diameter of Earth (comparable to the width of Australia), it is the largest natural satellite in the Solar System relative to the size of its planet, the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System overall, and is larger than any known dwarf planet.

Another term for an asteroid, particularly larger ones that might be round.

Often Moon The natural satellite of Earth, visible by reflection of sunlight and having a slightly elliptical orbit, approximately 363,100 kilometers (225,600 miles) distant at perigee and 405,700 kilometers (252,100 miles) at apogee. Its mean diameter is 3,475 kilometers (2,159 miles), its mass approximately one eightieth that of Earth, and its average period of revolution around Earth 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes calculated with respect to the sun.

Objects of interest for their potential mineral resources.

A natural satellite revolving around a planet.

See asteroid.

The moon as it appears at a particular time in its cycle of phases

(astronomy) An asteroid of any size

A month, especially a lunar month.

(astronomy) An asteroid-like body in an orbit beyond the asteroid belt, such as a centaur or Kuiper belt object

A disk, globe, or crescent resembling the natural satellite of Earth.

(astronomy) A larger, planetary, body in orbit around the Sun, such as Vesta or (candidate) dwarf planets such Eris or Sedna

Moonlight.

(astronomy) A dwarf planet

Something unreasonable or unattainable

A body resembling a planet; an asteroid.

(Slang) The bared buttocks.

Any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)

To wander about or pass time languidly and aimlessly.

Often irregularly shaped due to their small size and composition.

To yearn or pine as if infatuated.

(Slang) To expose one's buttocks in public as a prank or disrespectful gesture.

(Slang) To expose one's buttocks to (others) as a prank or disrespectful gesture

Senseid|en|Q405}} {{alternative case form of Moon.

Any natural satellite of a planet.

(literary) A month, particularly a lunar month.

A representation of the moon, usually as a crescent or as a circle with a face; a crescent-shaped shape, symbol, or object.

A crescent-like outwork in a fortification.

The eighteenth trump/major arcana card of the Tarot.

(cartomancy) The thirty-second Lenormand card.

(card games) In hearts, the action of taking all the point cards in one hand.

To display one's buttocks to, typically as a jest, insult, or protest.

To gaze at lovingly or in adoration.

(usually followed by over or after) To fuss over something adoringly; to be infatuated with someone.

To spend time idly, absent-mindedly.

(transitive) To expose to the rays of the Moon.

(transitive) To adorn with moons or crescents.

To rise in price rapidly or suddenly.

(card games) To shoot the moon.

The celestial orb which revolves round the earth; the satellite of the earth; a secondary planet, whose light, borrowed from the sun, is reflected to the earth, and serves to dispel the darkness of night. The diameter of the moon is 2,160 miles, its mean distance from the earth is 240,000 miles, and its mass is one eightieth that of the earth. See Lunar month, under Month.

A secondary planet, or satellite, revolving about any member of the solar system; as, the moons of Jupiter or Saturn.

The time occupied by the moon in making one revolution in her orbit; a month.

A crescentlike outwork. See Half-moon.

The deliberately exposed naked buttocks.

To expose to the rays of the moon.

To expose one's naked buttocks to (a person); - a vulgar sign of contempt or disrespect, sometimes done as a prank.

To act if moonstruck; to wander or gaze about in an abstracted manner.

The natural satellite of the Earth;

Any object resembling a moon;

The period between successive new moons (29.531 days)

The light of the moon;

United States religious leader (born in Korea) who founded the Unification Church in 1954; was found guilty of conspiracy to evade taxes (born in 1920)

Any natural satellite of a planet;

Have dreamlike musings or fantasies while awake;

Be idle in a listless or dreamy way

Expose one's buttocks to;

A celestial body that orbits a planet.

Affects Earth’s ocean tides due to gravitational pull.

A subject of numerous scientific studies and space missions.

The Moon is uniquely significant to Earth, being its only natural satellite and playing a major role in Earth's natural phenomena.

Ceres is currently the largest known planetoid, also classified as a dwarf planet.

The Moon is not considered a planet because it does not orbit the Sun directly; it orbits Earth.

Yes, some larger planetoids can have their own moons, known as satellite systems.

While many are located in the asteroid belt, planetoids can also be found throughout the solar system, including near-Earth space.

Missions like NASA's Dawn spacecraft have explored planetoids like Vesta and Ceres.

Planetoids are mostly made of rock and metal, while comets are composed of ice, dust, and rocky material and have distinct tails when near the Sun.

Studying planetoids helps scientists understand more about the solar system's formation and evolution.

Various missions are planned, including those by NASA aiming for lunar habitation and research stations.

New moons are typically discovered through telescope observations and occasionally through spacecraft missions.

The Moon has an exosphere, which is a very thin atmosphere, but not substantial enough to support life as Earth’s atmosphere does.

The apparent change in shape, or phases of the Moon, is due to its position relative to Earth and the Sun.

While most planetoids pose no threat, larger ones could potentially cause significant damage if they were to impact Earth.

The Moon itself has a minor effect on Earth's climate but significantly affects ocean tides, which in turn influence climate patterns.

Distance affects their composition and surface temperature, influencing their structure and the ice content in some cases.