Exciting News about the Moon

The moon captured the attention of most people lately because of the historic journey to it four astronauts made. Like me, as the Artemis 11 capsule surrounded by flames sped 24,000 mph at 5000 degrees for an ocean landing, you probably held your breath. Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are our newest heroes.

The astronauts spoke some poignant words when they were safe at home. In case you missed them…

Reid said, “It’s a special thing to be human—and a special thing to be on planet Earth.”

Victor said, “I wanted to thank God in public, and I want to thank God again.”

Christina described a crew and then said, “Planet Earth, you are a crew.”                       

Jeremy spoke of gratitude, the joy train, and love.

The crew had some firsts:  They traveled 250,000 miles from Earth. They saw the dark side of the moon as well as a solar eclipse as the moon passed between them and the sun.

The whole experience of the journey around our closest neighbor in the solar system and its stunning sights lifts our hearts to the Creator!

Our Natural Satellite and Us

The moon has always fascinated people. It represents beauty and calm. A site on YouTube lists 62 best moon songs. For decades a national dream has been to go to the moon. Then finally the Apollo 11 crew landed on it. I remember watching it.

Do you recall the excitement generated by the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024? Wearing special glasses, we had our eyes glued to the sky.

The moon influences us. Its gravity creates tides and influences migration and mating rituals. Some people think it affects our emotions too. There is moon gazing therapy, but no proof that it works. Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, the basis of words like lunar and lunatic. The Greek name was Selene, who pulled the moon across the sky in her chariot.

Our Partner in Space in Our Language

“Moonwalk dance”  “Moon pie”  “Love you to the moon and back.”  “I’m over the moon.”  “He’s mooning over her.” “Many moons ago”  “to moon someone” “Honeymoon.”

Facts about Our Moon

Our solar system has more than 200 moons. Ours is fifth in size.

The moon doesn’t make its own light but reflects sunlight. That is why it is a symbol for Mary, who reflects the light of God.

The lunar surface is pocked with craters made by asteroids and comets. Besides craters, there are about 18 mountain ranges on it.

The cycle of the moon’s phases takes more than 29 days. The 13^th full moon can be seen every 2 ½ years and called a blue moon.  The next one is in May.

Formerly it was thought that the moon was a chunk of Earth broken off by an asteroid, but the two bodies don’t have the same basic materials.

The dark spots on the moon, some of which we discern as the Man in the Moon and the Japanese see a rabbit, are caused by the impact of comets. The dark spots are called marias, Latin for seas. A thin layer of dust surrounds the moon, kicked up by comets.

The moon’s gravity is about 1/6 of Earth’s.  It also has a very thin atmosphere.

In 2018  water ice was discovered in craters on the unlit side. In 2020 water was found on the sunlit side.

The moon spins slowly and follows an elliptical path, so sometimes it appears closer.

For Thought

Just before the 40-minute communications blackout on the far side of the moon, Victor Glover said, “As we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth. And that’s love.”

• What is your favorite moon song?

• Where were you for the solar eclipse in 2024?

Here is a rendition of my favorite moon song. The video is overlaid with tidbits of information about how this song came to be. Enjoy!