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Hello Moon!

Tom Haus
The Mysterious Wonder of the Full Moon
Since time immemorial, the full moon has been viewed as a source of mystery and magic. From its captivating silvery light that seems to sparkle like stars down upon Earth at night, to its compelling influence on our moods and emotions, this celestial body has fascinated humans for ages — and still does today.
But why is the full moon so mysterious? To answer that question, we must first explore some lunar facts:
A new month begins approximately every 29.5 days when the moon swings around in its orbit and appears fully illuminated from our point of view here on Earth. This creates what’s known as a “synodic month” which is generally how modern calendars measure one complete lunar cycle from start to finish.
Depending on timezone location, full moons may actually appear quite differently across various parts of the world – even though they all occur at roughly the same moment based on certain calculations regarding each hemisphere’s angle towards the sun (known as “astronomical seasons”).
Since ancient times, seasonal full moons have been given poetic names – something that helped early cultures keep track of different times throughout the year without having to record them all into a written form. For example, in November we might refer to it as a “Hunter’s Moon” or if it falls during March – then it would be called a “Worm Moon” instead.
Scientists now know that gravitational forces raised by both sun and moon can create powerful ocean tides twice each day—which is why high tide tends to coincide with a full moon more than any other point during any given month (aka the “spring tides”).
The list goes on…but it’s clear there are many fascinating things about our closest celestial neighbor! Not only do these rhythms and cycles inform us about time passing earthward, they also help remind us how truly connected we all are above & beyond this little blue planet spinning round this tiny star within an unimaginably vast universe!
Ultimately though – there really is something hauntingly beautiful and mysterious about viewing that first sliver of light bursting from behind gray clouds after weeks spent wrapped in endless darkness…and who knows – maybe that feeling will never change no matter how much science or technology advances over time?

 

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