November 2004                                                                     The Megaphone                                                                                  Page 5

The Moon

by Ginny (Hocker) Noble

According to the giant impact theory, the young Earth had no moon. At some point, a planet larger than Mars, struck the Earth in a great glancing blow. Most of the rogue body and a sizable chunk of Earth were vaporized. The cloud rose to 13,700 miles altitude, where it condensed into solid particles that orbited the Earth and they gradually combined to form the Moon.

Some Moon Facts:

The Moon is 4.6 billion years old, or about the same age as Earth.

The distance between the Earth and Moon average about 238,900 miles.

Its diameter is 2,160 miles and its mass is about one-eightieth of the Earth’s mass.

The surface gravity of the Moon is only one-sixth that of the Earth.

The rotation of the Moon -- the time it takes to spin once around on its own axis -- is 27.3 days. This means the Moon shows the same face to the Earth at all times. (the dark side has been photographed only from spacecraft)

The Moon orbits the Earth at an average speed of 2,300 miles an hour.

The Moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth is the main cause of the rise and fall of ocean tides. (other factors apply also)

The surface temperature ranges from 243 °F for two weeks at a time and then cools to about -272 °F.

The rocks and soil samples collected by the Apollo missions are extremely dry; the Moon has no indigenous water. The rocks they have found are rare and have few or none of the many elements that are common on Earth.

Flying time by rocket is approximately 60 to 70 hours.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step onto the surface of the Moon. He was followed by Edwin Aldrin, both of the Apollo 11 mission.

Twelve men have walked on the Moon’s surface.

The Moon is not round, but egg shaped with the large end pointed towards earth.

Moon Rise Facts:

The New Moon always rises at sunrise.

The first quarter at noon .

The Full Moon always rises at sunset.

And the last quarter at midnight .

Moonrise takes place about 50 minutes later each day than the day before.

The new Moon can not be seen because the illuminated side faces away from the earth. This occurs when the Moon lines up between the Earth and the Sun.

As for the effect of the Moon on human behavior, that is a subtle question. In the days before electric lighting, the Moon provided the only reliable source of illumination at night for our ancestors. Except for the few nights around each Full Moon, it would have been too dark to travel about at night, so the activities of hunters would have been linked to the phases of the Moon. But now in big cities, we hardly notice the Moon phases, because the lights are on 24 hours a day.

For an interesting view of the Earth and Moon visit this web site called Earth and Moon Viewer.

                www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/vplanet.html

Full Moon Names

Before we had our months names, we named the moons of a year. This is where we got the word months -- moon-ths.  Our moon’s names are associated with the times of the Full Moon, but some cultures associate time with the New Moon. Full Moon names date back to the Native Americans of what is now the northern and eastern United States.  The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. There was some variation in the Moon names, but generally they kept the same names throughout the tribes.  European settlers followed that custom and even created some of their own names.  The full Moon dates shift from year to year, since the lunar month is 29.5 days long on the average.  Below is the list of the Farmers Almanac’s names, and some others that I have discovered and added.

January 25, 2005 – Full Wolf Moon This is from the wolf packs roaming in the dead of winter.  Also called “After-Yule” or “Old” Moon.

February 23, 2005 – Full Snow Moon   Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month the tribes used this name. Also known as Full “Hunger” Moon – because the harsh weather made hunting difficult.

March 25, 2005 – Full Worm Moon   When the grounds began to thaw the earthworms came to the surface. Some other names were: Chaste Moon, Crow Moon - because of the cawing crows, Crust Moon – the snow would thaw and freeze at night, Sugar or Sap Moon – time of tapping maple trees, Lenten Moon – the settlers considered it the last full moon of winter.

April 24, 2005 – Full Pink Moon   This comes from the herb moss pink or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring. Other names are : Full Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Full Fish Moon – since this is when shad would swim upstream to spawn.

May 23, 2005 – Full Flower Moon  In most areas flowers are abundant everywhere during this time.  Other names: Hare Moon, Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

June 22, 2005 – Full Strawberry Moon   This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe – because of the harvesting of strawberries in June each year.  In Europe it was called the Full Rose Moon. Other names are Full Hot Moon, and Dyad Moon.

July 21, 2005 – Full Buck Moon   July is normally the month the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads.  Other names are : Full Thunder Moon – for the many thunderstorms in July, Full Hay Moon and Mead Moon.

August 19, 2005 – Full Sturgeon Moon   The fishing tribes named this moon, since the sturgeon were caught mainly in this month.  Other names: Full Red Moon – because of the reddish haze when rising, Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon, and if it occurs later in the month  – it is called Full Fruit or Barley Moon .

September 28, 2004 & 17, 2005 – Full Harvest Moon   This is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox.  In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it will be in October. Farmers can work late into the night during harvest because of the moon light. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night, just 25 to 30 minutes later in the U.S. and 10 to 20 minutes later for Canada and Europe . Corn, pumpkin, squash, beans, and wild rice, the Indians main staples are ready for gathering now. Also is known as Full Corn and Barley Moon. *

October 27, 2004 & 17, 2005 – Full Hunter’s Moon   This is named because the fields have been reaped and the hunter’s can easily see the fox and animals which come out to glean.  Also called Blood Moon, Travel Moon, and Dying Grass Moon.

November 26, 2004 & 15, 2005 – Full Beaver Moon   There are two meanings of this, one from the beavers busily building their winter homes.  The other is because of the traps set before the swamps froze to ensure warm winter furs.  It is also called Frosty Moon or Snow Moon.

December 26, 2004 & 15, 2005 – Full Cold or Long Nights Moon   During this month the nights are long, dark, and cold – winter has arrived. The Long Night Moon is because of the long midwinter night and the Moon is above the horizon for a long time – it has a high trajectory because it is opposite a low Sun. Other names are: Moon Before Yule and Oak Moon.

*The Harvest Moon is always the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox.  If the Harvest Moon occurs in October, the September full Moon is usually called the Corn Moon.

Ginny (Hocker) Noble

Class of 1960