'Looking at how pretty the moon is': 20 moon memes that advance the field of lunar exploration

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Jul 20, 2026 1:15 PM EDT

Out of the whole solar system, it is the thing closest to home that is the most iconic.

The moon can be used to represent all kinds of different things, from mystery to spookiness to romance. In fact, everything about it seems to be about changeability. The amount of it that we can see on Earth fluctuates depending on the time of the month, and its gravitational pull is directly responsible for how the ocean tides work. On top of that, there is a whole host of people who claim that a full moon makes everybody act crazy (and maybe turns a few of them into werewolves). There is a lot going on with this rock that just happens to orbit our planet.

For all the myths, magic, and indeed verifiable science that surrounds our singular moon, many of us take it for granted that we are going to see it up in the sky every night, provided there aren't too many clouds. It is yet another fact of life, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't treat it as special from time to time. Yes, it is definitely frustrating how difficult it is to take a good picture of it, but that doesn't detract from its beauty. If anything, it enhances the fact that it is really pretty cool, and the fact that human beings have managed to go there (so long as you don't believe the conspiracy theories) is a major achievement. That is a good enough reason to celebrate it with memes, and also spend a little more time in the evenings appreciating the way that it lights up the night sky.

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