Mankind has been asking questions about the moon since the dawn of time. Is the moon made of cheese? Was the moon originally a chunk of Earth? Are there aliens living there?
Some of these questions were answered when astronauts landed on the moon in 1969, but what scientists have been unable to prove is whether the moon – specifically the full moon – affects people.
Mood & Lunacy
One of the most common beliefs about the moon is that it can change a person’s mood.
The full moon, in particular, is believed to coincide with increased crime, craziness, and strange behavior like sleepwalking and suicide. The word lunatic actually means “moon sick.”
Some people insist the moon pulls the water inside our bodies just like it pulls the oceans into high and low tides.
“The full moon affects our bodies and it affects the oceans. Since our bodies are made up…of so much water, it’s easy to understand how the moon would pull us and sway us just like the ocean,” explains astrologer Athena Perrakis, Ph.D.
Perrakis and others see the full moon as sort of “high tide” for human emotions, which could lead us to do or say things we normally wouldn’t. A creative person, for example, might feel particularly inspired by a full moon, while a person prone to violence might be quicker to start a fight.
However, despite the claims, scientific evidence to support claims that the moon affects a person’s mood is sparse.
On the flip side, here are some strange (and true) facts about the moon:
- There is about 200 tons of trash and space junk on the moon, including a capsule containing the ashes of Eugene Shoemaker
- The moon is gradually slowing down Earth’s rotation; in 100 years, each day will be 2 milliseconds longer than it is now
- Each year, the moon moves about 4 centimeters away from the Earth; in 500 million years, it will be 14,600 miles further away than it is now
- Seismic disturbances on the moon are called “moonquakes”
Birth Moon & Personality Traits
Your “birth moon” refers to the phase the moon was in on the day of your birth. Similar to the Chinese and western zodiacs, people associate certain personality traits with each phase of the moon.
I was born during the “waxing gibbous” moon phase, which apparently means that I over-analyze everything and don’t do well in isolation (that’s a fair assessment).
Other examples include:
- Full moon: associated with extroversion, powerful emotions, friendliness, and honesty
- New moon: linked to creativity, impulsiveness, imagination, and passion
- Waxing crescent: associated with adventure, assertiveness, ambition, and curiosity
- Waning gibbous: associated with feelings of caring and compassion
While the whole birth moon thing is likely just a way to get people to buy jewelry on Etsy, you can’t deny that it’s interesting. Visit this website to discover your birth moon.
Tides & Eclipses (actual science)
Apart from the unproven stuff, the moon does affect the Earth and humans through tides and eclipses.
Tides are caused by the gravitational relationship between the Earth and the Moon. A high tide occurs when the ocean on the side of Earth facing the moon gets pulled towards the moon. Another high tide occurs at the same time on the opposite side of the Earth, because the center of the planet is also being pulled towards the moon. In other words, Earth is being pulled away from the ocean on the far side. Due to Earth’s rotation, high tide occurs twice each day.
These effects are largely unnoticed in smaller bodies of water. The Great Lakes, for example, never experiences tides higher than 2 inches. This fact essentially disproves the claim that the pull of the moon affects the water inside our bodies.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the sun and the moon and blocks the moon or a portion of it. When the Earth’s shadow on the moon gives it a rust-colored tint, we call it a “blood moon.”
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking all or a portion of it. When the moon’s shadow completely obscures the sun, we get what is called a “total solar eclipse.”
The image above was taken during the “Great American Eclipse,” which was a total solar eclipse that occurred in the United States in August 2017.
While a total solar eclipse occurs roughly every 1.5 years at some point on the planet, the eclipse in 2017 was a big deal for Americans because it was the first time a total solar eclipse had occurred in the US since 1979 and was the first time the event was visible from coast to coast since 1918.
If your hometown was in the path of totality last year, call yourself lucky. Each particular spot on the planet will observe only 1 total solar eclipse every 375 years.
Did you know?
Each year, NASA announces a date for “International Observe the Moon Night,” an annual public event that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of the Moon.
This year, the event will take place on October 20th.