Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin No. 90, Spring 2001
Native American Full Moon Names
Other Moon Names
A recent lurid television program posed the question, “Did NASA really go to the Moon or was it all a hoax?” Most viewers rightly scoffed at the program, which nonetheless gathered top ratings. These high ratings were probably more an indication of the public’s continuing high interest in the Moon rather than a cynical statement on what people are willing to believe in these allegedly unenlightened times. While the fact that Apollo astronauts did visit the Moon is easily proved, not by television images but by the many samples brought back and the testimonials of those involved, there do remain many unanswered or at least widely misunderstood aspects about the Moon. This short guide will attempt to answer several of the most frequently asked questions about the Moon, our nearest neighbor, lifetime companion, and neverending source of inspiration and inquiry.
Why doesn’t the Moon have a “real” name, like the moons of Jupiter?
The Moon has been called “the Moon” for centuries. The modem English word derives from the Old English name, Mona. When Galileo first discovered satellites around Jupiter, they were called "moons" after our own natural satellite, and the designation stuck.
Why does a full Moon appear bigger on the horizon?
This very convincing effect is known as the “Moon illusion,” and it is in fact an optical illusion. The size of the image the Moon casts on your eye is the same no matter where in the sky it is. This can be tested by even the most casual observer using a paper clip bent into a measuring device held at arm’s length. Measure the image of the Moon both when it is high in the sky and near the horizon, and the measurement will be the same, despite the fact that the Moon appears so much larger at the horizon. Since optical illusions are essentially psychological tricks played on the brain, it is difficult to explain exactly why this phenonomen takes place. Some have argued that the presence of objects on the ground (trees, buildings) make the Moon seem larger by comparison.
Did NASA claim the Moon as property of the United States when it planted a flag on the Moon, like Columbus did when he landed in America?
When a NASA astronaut placed the flag on the Moon, the action signified that, “America went in peace for all Mankind.” Acquisition in outer space is prohibited under the United Nations Treaty on Outer Space signed in 1967. Some companies have attempted to sell “real estate” on the Moon, but such deals have no legal standing in any country. A Moon by Any Other Name
Is there a dark side of the Moon?
Because the same side of the Moon always faces the Earth, we only see one side of the Moon and thus used to speak of a “dark side.” That side, now referred to in scientific circles as the “farside,” is not cast in a permanent state of darkness, however. When we experience a new Moon on Earth, for instance, and the dark side of the Moon is facing the Earth, the farside is bathed in sunlight. So, although the Moon may have a “dark side,” it is not always the same side.
Is there water on the Moon?
In March 1998, scientists asserted that the amount of water ice found on the Moon may be in the range of 11 million to 330 million tons. This was based on data returned by the Lunar Pro spec- tor, on the presence of large hydrogen deposits, and on more unknown scientific factors such as theoretical models about the Moon’s atmosphere, the rate of cometary impact, and how these factors affected the regolith mixing ratio over time. At the end of the Prospector’s mission in 1999, NASA scientists intentionally crashed the probe in the lunar polar regions where the ice was thought to exist, in the hopes of liberating a cloud of water vapor. Although no direct evidence of water ice was detected initially by the crash, the data is still being sifted through.
Does the Moon make people crazy?
Although the word lunatic and its derivatives come from a supposed connection between the Moon and mental illness, no connection has been established with any scientific veracity. Furthermore, no connection has been estab- lished, although many people mistakenly believe it has, between the appearance of a full Moon and supposed rises in crime, erratic behavior, or general mayhem. Although some social scientists have explored this problem statistically, reasoning the light of the full Moon possibly could have an effect on the human psyche, they have failed to turn up any such evidence.
What does the Moon look like in other parts of the world?
For practical purposes, the phases of the Moon and how much of it appears to be illuminated are independent of the location of the observer on Earth, although the precise fraction of the Moon that appears to be illuminated will vary slightly. One interesting thing to note, however, is that an observer in Australia sees an “upside-down” version of the Moon compared to what somebody would see in North America.
Some of this information was culled from NASA websites
Further reading on the Moon
Websites about the Moon