Cool Moon Facts by Whip

Real astronomy, with sources. Folklore & tradition.

Fact #015 Geology

The Moon has earthquakes. Some of them ring for over an hour.

Apollo seismometers recorded four kinds, including shallow quakes up to about magnitude 5.5. With no water in the rock to damp the vibrations, a moonquake keeps resonating long after an equivalent earthquake would have died out, one scientist described the Moon as ringing like a bell.

Source: Apollo Passive Seismic Experiment, NSSDC (opens in a new tab) · checked Aug 2026

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