Gravity is weaker on the Moon, where objects weigh about one sixth of their Earth weight.

The longer version

Weight depends on the strength of local gravity, while mass stays the same wherever you go. Because the Moon is far less massive than Earth and smaller in radius, its pull at the surface is only a fraction of ours, so a person or a tool weighs much less there. The same object still resists being pushed just as hard, because inertia is unchanged.

Lower gravity also means a lower escape velocity, which is why gas molecules escape easily and no substantial atmosphere can accumulate. Dust kicked up by a footstep follows a long, flat arc and settles slowly rather than puffing outward the way it does on Earth.

Where this entry sits

The night sky looks calm, yet almost everything up there is moving, burning, or slowly changing. These facts cover planets, stars, the Moon, gravity, black holes, comets, and the story of how people began exploring beyond Earth. The full list sits on the Space and Sky page, where every entry is listed in order.