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SpaceSurprise 4/5Difficulty 2/5Reviewed on September 17, 2026

The Moon is moving away from the Earth by about 4 centimetres per year.

Why it is true

The Moons gravity causes tides in the Earths oceans. This movement creates friction that transfers energy from the Earths rotation to the Moons orbit. As a result, the Moon slowly moves away and the Earths rotation slows down. In the time of the dinosaurs, days had fewer hours.

Source: NASA

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