An Ancient Partnership

The Earth-Moon system is more interconnected than most people realize:

• The Moon was born from a giant impact 4.5 billion years ago
• It steadies Earth's axial tilt, preventing chaotic climate swings
• Tidal forces slow Earth's rotation and may have helped life begin
• Earth's magnetic field and plate tectonics are equally vital to habitability

No other rocky planet in our solar system has a moon this large relative to its size. The Earth-Moon partnership may be one of the rarest arrangements in the galaxy.