There is a lot that even scientists don’t know about the moon, making it all the more mysterious. We can rule out that it’s made of cheese, and we can rule out that there is some man living on it, or in it, or whatever they say, so there are those cold, hard facts, but before we went in search of what science can tell us about the moon, we were pretty clueless; so today we’re looking at some interesting facts about that enchanting glowing ball hanging in our night sky.
(image via: civilian global)
Throughout the Middle Ages, scientists and philosophers were convinced that the moon was to blame for seizures and even caused fevers and bouts of rheumatism. Because of the apparent connection between the moon and a number of erratic behaviors, those affected were referred to as “lunatics” which directly translates to “moon sick”.
Eclipses don’t just happen by coincidence, they are made possible by the size of the moon being the same size as the sun. Well, it’s the right size and distance from us to appear to be the same size as the sun. You get it.
A small study was conducted in Switzerland and found that those exposed to a full moon were more than likely to experience significantly less deep sleep, produced less melatonin, and took, on average, approximately five more minutes to fall asleep than during the other days of the month. Researchers suggest that this is probably due to your internal body clock and the amount of light from the full moon.
(image via: amazon)
The moon is actually shaped like a lemon. Or kind of like an egg? From where we’re standing it looks perfectly round, but that is not the case. Billions of years ago super hot tidal forces shaped its crust and left it kinda wonky.
Much like down here on Earth, the moon experiences quakes, known as moonquakes, and these occur when the lunar crust warms and expands. Moonquakes are nearly as intense as earthquakes, but they can last way longer, and this is because the moon has no water on it to combat the vibrations.
There are some pretty interesting knick-knacks on the moon including golf balls, an Andy Warhol drawing, a message from Queen Elizabeth II, and Eugene Cernan, one of the last people to walk on the moon, carved his daughter’s initials up there. Since there is no wind or rain or anything on the moon, her initials could remain there, well, forever.