Fact #016
Geology
The Moon is shrinking. It has lost about 50 metres of circumference as its interior cools, and the surface is wrinkling like old fruit.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter found thousands of small cliffs, thrust faults, where the crust has buckled and shoved itself over. Some cut across features so young they must have formed recently in geological terms, and shallow moonquakes may be the crust still adjusting.
Source: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (opens in a new tab) · checked Aug 2026