What if the Moon was replaced with any other planet from the Solar System? The Moon is the Earth's closest space neighbor and its only natural satellite. It likely formed when a huge, Mars-sized object crashed into our planet billions of years ago. This catastrophe turned Earth into a scorching ball of molten rock. It also pushed some material into its orbit, creating the Moon.

Now, this heavily cratered sphere moves around our planet. This causes high and low tides around the globe. A bit more than one-fourth the size of Earth, it's the fifth-largest natural satellite in the Solar System. Whatever the satellite looks like, you can always find it in the night sky and sometimes, even during the day. But imagine waking up at night and noticing that the Moon looks somewhat different than usual...

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