The object of numerous scientific studies and esoteric teachings, the inspirer of poets and romantics - all this is the full moon. Photos of the night star illustrate articles about space achievements and discoveries and at the same time about magic and superstitions. Literally every full moon is accompanied by a surge of interest in mystical phenomena and ideas, ancient and modern, associated with it. For some, they cause a condescending smile, many believe in such things unconditionally. What is the full moon from the point of view of astronomy, what superstitions are associated with it and what are the results of studies that verify them - this will be discussed below.
Phases
The moon, as you know, does not emit light. We can admire the beauty of the night only thanks to the Sun. The moon reflects its rays and sends them to the Earth. Accordingly, the phases of the night star are related to what area of its surface at a particular moment of time is available for solar radiation. The degree of illumination of the surfacesatellite depends on the features of the relative position of it, the Earth and our star.
The day of the full moon, or the full moon, comes at the moment when the plane drawn through the night and day luminaries, as well as our planet, is perpendicular to the ecliptic. The sun at this moment makes visible the entire round face of the satellite.
Ash Light
Sometimes the full moon appears at the "off-hour". This effect is known as "ash light". It consists in the fact that shortly after the new moon or when the month is very thin, the rest of the satellite's surface becomes noticeable. Pale, as if shrouded in smoke, the Moon reflects the light that, having started its journey from the Sun, has passed through the Earth's atmosphere. Less intense beams give rise to a dull glow and a characteristic ashy color.
Height
Those who regularly watch the sky know that on a full moon the luminary does not always rise high above the horizon. Every month its position changes somewhat. The difference is especially noticeable in summer compared to winter. The full moon in the warm season never rises high. In winter, on the contrary, you can admire it almost all night, since the satellite reaches almost the zenith point. This difference is connected with the peculiarities of the orbit of the night star.
For a terrestrial observer, the Moon moves almost along the same trajectory as the Sun. Its path passes through the zodiac constellations, that is, it largely coincides with the ecliptic. True, there is a significant difference. The moon turns out in winteralmost where the Sun is in summer, that is, high in the sky, and vice versa.
Eclipses
The trajectories of the movement of the day and night luminaries do not completely coincide. This fact has a rather pleasant consequence: thanks to it, we are able to see the satellite in all its glory, round and bright. If both luminaries traveled the same path across the sky, then once, sometimes twice a month, a lunar eclipse would occur. And it would always fall on a full moon. It was on this day that the Earth would completely block the night luminary from the rays of the day. Similarly, on a new moon, the satellite would always be located between the Sun and the Earth, that is, there would be a monthly total eclipse of our star.
In the familiar world, these phenomena do not happen so often. Eclipses occur only on those days when the Moon, full or new, passes the so-called nodes of the orbit - the points where the planes of motion of it and the Earth intersect.
Illusion
The large full moon, the photo of which is presented in the article, is a phenomenon, according to scientists, associated with the height of the night star above the horizon. Several times a year, at the line where the earth meets the sky, a bright satellite can be observed that appears much larger than usual. The word "apparent" is not accidental here. Researchers of the issue call this phenomenon "lunar illusion". Indeed, if at this moment we compare the night star with a coin, and then repeat the measurements when the satellite rises higher and takes on standard dimensions, the result will be the same. The moon does not becomemore is an optical illusion. The most interesting thing is that it has not yet received an exhaustive explanation: there are several theories, but some kind of counterargument testifies against each. However, this does not prevent one from admiring the magnificent and slightly, albeit illusory, larger night star.
The moon illusion should not be confused with a supermoon. This is an astronomical phenomenon. It occurs on those days when the full moon or new moon coincides with the moment the satellite passes perihelion, that is, the point of minimum distance from the Earth. At the same time, the night luminary really increases in size by about 14%.
Representations of the ancients
In ancient times, the ancestors of modern people animated natural phenomena, stars and planets. The expression "the magic of the full moon" was not a metaphor for them, but a statement of fact. The night luminary in the mythology of the ancients often opposed the daylight. For many peoples, a negative, dark beginning was associated with him, often female energies, passivity and everything related to witchcraft. The Full Moon was worshiped, feared, respected, tried to appease.
In the more developed religious traditions, the worship of the animate luminary was replaced by the service of the gods personifying it. In Greek mythology, this role was played by Artemis, Hecate and Selene, in Roman mythology by Diana. In ancient Egypt, Thoth, Khonsu and Yah were associated with the Moon.
Echoes of ancient ideas about the influence of the night star on a person are present in our lives today.
Anxious full moon night
Perhaps everyone knows the superstitions, signs and mystical ideas associated with the full moon. The most persistent of them describe the impact on he alth, mental and physical. It is believed that during the full moon people become more excitable. This is reflected primarily in the quality of night rest. Its duration decreases, the likelihood of insomnia increases, it takes more time to fall asleep. For the same reason, people with mental illness may experience an exacerbation on such days. Often, epileptics are also included in the risk group. According to many people, the full moon increases the likelihood of seizures or their frequency. Increased excitability is also manifested in an increase in the level of crime, the number of accidents and other things. Also, a similar influence of the night star helps to increase sexual desire. There is a belief that more children are born or the number of conceptions increases with a full moon.
Astrologers recommend dedicating such days to things that require great strength. On the full moon, by increasing the overall energy, you can carry out quite bold projects. It's good to schedule interviews and public speaking at this time.
Some of the current ideas about the impact of the full moon have been repeatedly tested by scientists in the past and present centuries.
Research the issue
In 2013, scientists in Switzerland tested the effect of the full moon on the quality of sleep. The experiment involved 33 people. During the full moon, scientists recorded the state of variousareas of the brain and compared them with the results obtained in another period. It turned out that on the full moon, a few days before and after it, people experienced certain problems with sleep. The general state was more restless. The time to fall asleep increased by about 5 minutes, while the duration of sleep, on the contrary, decreased (by 20 minutes).
Scientific opinion
On the one hand, the study clearly confirms the prevailing views. On the other hand, only 33 people participated in the experiment, and this is too few for the results to be considered unambiguously true for everyone.
Most of the studies that summarize the numerous data obtained in the past years, on the contrary, do not find a connection between the lunar cycle and the behavior / condition of people. The analysis showed that the night luminary does not affect the number of suicides, nor the crime rate, nor the number of road accidents or insanity attacks. No links have been found between aggressive animal behavior and the full moon.
Scientists have not studied the influence of the satellite of our planet on the number of correctly made decisions or successfully passed exams. Perhaps such studies are yet to come.
It has been suggested that the light of the full moon or the tidal interaction of our planet with the satellite can influence a person. However, scientists have not yet confirmed these data. Nevertheless, the full moon still remains for many people an important factor influencing their behavior and life in general. As a rule, they quite rightly remark,that scientists can be wrong.
