Astronaut on the Moon Coloring Page

This astronaut on the moon coloring page shows the kind of move you can only pull off in low gravity. The explorer is caught in mid leap, back leg stretched out and front knee driving forward, with a trail of dust dropping behind that rear boot. Earth fills the sky behind the helmet, so close that one glove seems to reach out and touch it.

The big shapes make it easy to start, and the small gear on the suit gives older kids plenty to dig into. Figure on forty five minutes to an hour with colored pencils.

Gear to spot on the suit

The helmet comes first. Its gold visor holds a small reflection of Earth, plus the gray ground curving across the bottom. A lamp sits on the top edge, and a round fitting covers the ear.

On the chest there is a control box with three round buttons and three small slots below. Follow the tube down from it to the red waist ring. The big square shape behind the shoulders is the life support pack, with a stack of vents and a little antenna on top.

The ridged rings at the elbows and knees are worth a close look. Suits get stiff when they are pressurized, and folds like these let the joints bend. Two color patches sit on the near arm, ready for a mission badge or a flag you design.

Astronaut on the moon coloring page color tips

This page is mostly gray and white, so contrast is everything. Use the darkest navy or black you own for the sky, and press hard. A solid dark sky makes the white suit look like it is lit by a spotlight.

1. Color the sky first, working carefully around the stars.
2. Give Earth a clean blue with green land and bright white clouds. It is the only rich color out there.
3. Layer warm gold on the visor, darker at the top and lighter toward the bottom.
4. Shade the suit with pale blue gray, never plain black.
5. Keep the ground a mid gray, and add a darker tone inside each crater.

Sunlight on the Moon is harsh, since nothing softens it. Pick one side as the sunny side and stick with it. Everything that faces away goes dark, fast. The long oval shadow under the astronaut proves they are off the ground, so make it your darkest shape on the surface.

Details that add depth

Craters look like shallow dishes from this low view. The near rim catches the light and the inside falls into shadow. Tiny pencil dots across the ground give the dust a powdery feel.

The small lander on the left horizon is there for scale. Keep it pale so it stays far away, and do the same for the rocks in the distance. Boot prints lead off toward the right side of the page. Press a little darker inside each one so they sink in.

Moon facts worth knowing

Gravity on the surface of the Moon is about one sixth of what you feel on Earth, which explains that giant leap. The Moon also has only a very thin layer of gas around it called an exosphere, and you cannot breathe it.

The temperatures are brutal. In full sun the ground reaches about 260 degrees Fahrenheit, and in the dark it can drop to around minus 280. The Moon sits an average of 238,855 miles from Earth, and NASA has more on its Moon facts page.

Side quests

Do the gravity math. Measure how high you can jump on Earth, then multiply by six to get a rough idea of your Moon jump. Mark that height on a wall and see how silly it looks.

You could also design the mission patch. Draw a circle on a spare sheet, add a name, a symbol and the crew, then copy a tiny version onto the arm of the suit. In class, students can each write the first radio message sent back from this exact moment. What would you say with the whole Earth hanging over your shoulder?

For more time in space, try the moon landing coloring page or the rocket coloring page.

Questions