Here's a fascinating fact about the Moon: The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth. Every year, the Moon moves about 3.8 centimeters (1.5 inches) farther away from Earth. This is due to the gravitational interaction between the Earth and the Moon, which causes tidal friction. Over millions of years, this distance will gradually increase, though it's happening so slowly that it won't have a significant effect on life on Earth for billions of years.