Moon—The Stabilizing Force on Earth
Duration: 4 hours
Target Audience: Anyone who is interested in science, life, joy, nature and the cosmos
Brief:
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The Sun-Earth-Moon system is unique in the Solar system, and perhaps in the entire cosmos. Moon revolves around the Earth, and together they orbit the Sun. Any slight change in their masses, sizes, distances, and densities would have drastically altered the course of life on Earth. Sun sustains life, while Moon nourishes the hearts and the minds of all living things. Together, they maintain the cosmic order. Solar-time is linear, one that is of continuity. Lunar-time measures life, which waxes towards fullness and wanes to a death. Both solar-time and lunar-time share periodicity and continuity. Moon’s reemergence after its monthly cycle signal the promise of rebirth, whether in terms of reincarnation, or in terms of a spiritual regeneration within one’s lifetime. Lord Buddha got enlightened on a full-moon night!
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The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth, and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. It is the largest natural satellite of a planet in the Solar System relative to the size of its primary, having 27% the diameter and 60% the density of Earth, resulting in 1 ⁄ 81 its mass. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face with its near side marked by dark volcanic maria (means seas ) that fill between the bright ancient crustal highlands and the prominent impact craters. Moon has no light of her own. But, it is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun, reflecting his light. Its prominence in the sky and its regular cycle of phases have, since ancient times, made the Moon an important cultural influence on language, calendars, art and mythology. The Moon's gravitational influence produces the ocean tides and the minute lengthening of the day. The Moon's current orbital distance, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth, causes it to appear almost the same size in the sky as the Sun, allowing it to cover the Sun nearly precisely in total solar eclipses. This matching of apparent visual size is a cosmic coincidence. The Moon's linear distance from the Earth is currently increasing at a rate of 3.82±0.07cm per year, however this rate is not constant.
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The Moon's regular phases make it a very convenient timepiece, and the periods of its waxing and waning form the basis of many of the oldest calendars. Tally sticks, notched bones dating as far back as 30,000 years ago, are believed by some to mark the phases of the Moon.
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A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a full moon. The type and length of an eclipse depend upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a certain relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of the Earth. A lunar eclipse lasts for a few hours, whereas a total solar eclipse lasts for only a few minutes at any given place, due to the smaller size of the moon's shadow. Also unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view without any eye protection or special precautions, as they are no brighter (indeed dimmer) than the full moon itself. A look at the geometry of Moon phases would make it appear that a lunar eclipse should happen at every full moon and a solar eclipse at every new moon. This does not occur because the plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted 5.14° with respect to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun (the ecliptic plane). The conditions for eclipses occur only at the points at which the Moon's orbit passes through the ecliptic plane. Remove this tilt of 5.14° and align the Moon to the ecliptic, we will have eclipses every month, which would surely diminish the beauty of eclipses. Beauty is in rarity, not in commonalty!
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The “Moon illusion” is an optical illusion in which the Moon appears larger near the horizon than it does while higher up in the sky. This optical illusion also occurs with the Sun and star constellations. It has been known since ancient times, and recorded by numerous different cultures. There are several theories but the explanation of this illusion is still debated. We will see two widely-tested theories: Apparent-distance theory, and angle-of-regard theory.
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A blue moon is a second full moon in a single calendar month, which happens every two to three years. One lunation (an average lunar cycle) is 29.53 days. There are about 365.25 days in a solar year. Therefore, about 12.37 lunations (365.25 days divided by 29.53 days) occur in a solar year. In the widely used Gregorian calendar, there are 12 months in a year, and normally there is one full moon each month. Each calendar year contains roughly 11 days more than the number of days in 12 lunar cycles. The extra days accumulate, so every two or three years, there is an extra full moon. The extra moon necessarily falls in one of the four seasons, giving that season four full moons instead of the usual three, and, hence, a blue moon . Due to the rarity of a blue moon, the term blue moon is used colloquially to mean a rare event, as in the phrase “once in a blue moon”. This usage is unrelated to the apparent color of the moon, which at any time of the year can be affected by atmospheric circumstances. For example, volcanic eruptions and exceptionally large fires can leave particles in the atmosphere which give the sky, and thus the moon, a tinge of blue or other colors.
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The Moon has immense power—it moves the oceans, it pulls lovers’ hearts, we pray to it and we stand awed by its eclipses and the beauty it creates on the Earth. And, she grinds scientists’ minds to solve her riddles, and whispers her secrets into poets’ hearts.
“What is there in thee. Moon!
That thou shouldst move
My heart so potently?”
~ John Keats
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Moon is the ruler and the goddess of the night-sky. She touches our hearts deeply in silvery silence. Sun inspires a sense of devotion and respect. Stars, constellations and galaxies nourish awe and wonder. But, Moon is the only object among billions of celestial objects in the skies that stirs and arouses love.
Moon may be, by physical looks, a chunk of rock. But, her influence on living things on Earth is immeasurable. Many scientific observations revealed the grandeur of lunar influences on the living organisms from plants to humans. Moons rhythms, complex tidal and ocean movements impel life processes of numerous organisms. The constant change at the edge of the sea because of the high and low tides defines life processes of thousands of organisms: hermit crabs, sponges, mollusks, bivalves, sand hoppers, crabs, star fish, sea anemones, snails, diatoms, worms, fish, seals, shrimps, sea urchins, nautiluses, turtles, and corals. Not only these, but, many non-marine, non-aquatic creatures also depend on the Moon. Even plants such as mangroves, water lilies, lettuce, cabbage, leeks, tomatoes, wheat, oats, and barley depend on Moon-phases. Some plants flower only in the moon light. In essence, moon light, tides and moon-phases delineate various activities of these organisms—when to germinate, build, grow, hunt, sleep, walk, swim, blossom, molt, swarm, spawn and so on. For example, nautilus adds one new chamber every lunar-cycle. That’s how, if it has 36 chambers, we can say that it is three-year old. |
The joy we feel looking at the full-moon and at the beauty it sprinkles on the earthen landscapes is unmistakable. Such feelings are captured in the words of Mahathma Gandhi: “When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator”.
Since the dawn of man, humans gazed up at the night sky and pondered the Moon, slept under its influence, dreamt of touching it. Nearly every race and tribe of humankind, dating back into deepest antiquity, has myths and legends about touching the Moon. Infused with the western science, Galileo, Tsiolkovsky, Jules Verne, H. G. Wells responded to the dream with their own visions, plans and creations. Over time, these visions gathered vitality and force. Movie makers joined the momentum with their art forms. Imagination, art and science-fiction led science in the realization of this grand age-old dream. The quest to set foot on another planet is one of the greatest adventures of mankind. The Moon is the only celestial body other than Earth on which humans have set foot. Only 24 people have seen the Earth in its spherical shape and some 12 of them walked on it. Soviet’s Luna and America’s Apollo programs taught us one fundamental and enduring truth: Earth is our only home. In the process of going to the Moon we discovered Earth. Alan Bean, an Apollo 12 Astronaut said: “Since going to the Moon, I have not complained about weather. Because, I am glad that there is weather. We are lucky to be here. Why do we have to complain about the Earth—The garden of Eden.” |
Perhaps the most unexpected consequence of the moon flights was a transformation of attitudes towards Earth itself. Space was indeed beautiful, but it was beauty of a severe, geometrical sort. Planets and stars sweep through the cosmos in obedience to Isaac Newton’s mathematical clockwork, a spectacle more likely to inspire awe than love. Earth was a magnificent contrast, a jewel hung in utter darkness, an exuberant riot of chaos and life in a haunting, abyssal emptiness. The sight had a profound effect on the astronauts, and photos of the whole Earth, which had never been seen before, nourished the nascent green movement. Self-awareness of the entire humanity has increased many-fold.
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Moon does not have her own light. So are all human beings. They do not have their own love except that which they reflect upon receiving it from God. The phrase “I love you!” is the greatest illusion that any person could have. The truth, “I reflect the love that God shined upon me, unto you!” might be a correct understanding. We can reflect and radiate only the amount of love that NATURE bestows in our hearts. We cannot love on our own. That’s why a human being’s love, no matter who they are—mother, brother, sister, wife, husband, children, et al. A journey to the Moon for the Moon-machines and the Astronauts took three days, but for us, a walk in love with God (that which is HIS gift) lasts a lifetime, and perhaps, forever.
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How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank. Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony. |
The Outline of Lecture:
This lecture will cover:
(1) “Sun-Earth-Moon” System, (2) The birth of the Moon, (2) The intellectual tools that the Moon gave us, (3) Moon phases and eclipses, (4) Moon illusion, (5) Moon rhythms in Nature, (6) Moon and emotions, and (7) Lunar expeditions. We will see these topics in the framework of “3x4 Nature Matrix” that I use in all my lectures on Nature.
(1) “Sun-Earth-Moon” System, (2) The birth of the Moon, (2) The intellectual tools that the Moon gave us, (3) Moon phases and eclipses, (4) Moon illusion, (5) Moon rhythms in Nature, (6) Moon and emotions, and (7) Lunar expeditions. We will see these topics in the framework of “3x4 Nature Matrix” that I use in all my lectures on Nature.
