Uses of the Moon

[austintorn@aol.com]

I am strolling down the lakefront and seeing the crescent moon, wondering what its uses are and wondering further what life on earth would be like without the moon? Any ideas?

[austintorn@aol.com]

Hi Austin,

If there were no tides and tidal marshes filling and emptying, then what?

I'm not sure, but maybe someone knows.
—Austin

[austintorn@aol.com]

Hi Mr. Torn,

Isn't the moon really a planet?

Yes, it's orbit is everywhere concave to the sun and is captured by the sun and not by the earth; together they are a double planet system whose center of gravity is till within the earth somewhere. —Austin

[austintorn@aol.com]

Austie,

What about lunar cycles and bio- or menstral cycles, moon gods, honeymoons, romantic walks, a base for space travel, 'To the moon, Alice', and lunatics.

Don't know exactly. Anyone have any ideas? —Austin

[analog]

I hate to interupt your conversation with yourself, but you appear to be showing signs of a LUNATIC....Just kidding.

The Moon (Latin: Luna) is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest natural satellite in the Solar System.

The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384,403 km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The Moon's diameter is 3,474 km, a little more than a quarter that of the Earth. This means that the Moon's volume is about 2 percent that of Earth and the pull of gravity at its surface about 17 percent that of the Earth. The Moon makes a complete orbit around the Earth every 27.3 days (the orbital period), and the periodic variations in the geometry of the Earth–Moon–Sun system are responsible for the lunar phases that repeat every 29.5 days (the synodic period).

The Moon is the only celestial body to which humans have travelled and upon which humans have landed. The first artificial object to escape Earth's gravity and pass near the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 1, the first artificial object to impact the lunar surface was Luna 2, and the first photographs of the normally occluded far side of the Moon were made by Luna 3, all in 1959. The first spacecraft to perform a successful lunar soft landing was Luna 9, and the first unmanned vehicle to orbit the Moon was Luna 10, both in 1966. The United States (U.S.) Apollo program achieved the only manned missions to date, resulting in six landings between 1969 and 1972. Human exploration of the Moon ceased with the conclusion of the Apollo program, although several countries have announced plans to send people or robotic spacecraft to the Moon.

Name and etymology

Unlike the moons of other planets, the moon of the Earth has no proper English name other than "the Moon" (capitalized).

The word moon is a Germanic word, related to Latin mensis; it is ultimately a derivative of the Proto-Indo-European root me-, also represented in measure (time), with reminders of its importance in measuring time in words derived from it like Monday, month and menstrual. In English, the word moon exclusively meant "the Moon" until 1665, when it was extended to refer to the recently-discovered natural satellites of other planets. The Moon is occasionally referred to by its Latin name, Luna, in order to distinguish it from other natural satellites, with a related adjective lunar, and an adjectival prefix seleno- or suffix -selene (from the Greek deity Selene).

Lunar surface

Two sides of the Moon

The Moon is in synchronous rotation, meaning that it keeps nearly the same face turned towards the Earth at all times. Early in the Moon's history, its rotation slowed and became locked in this configuration as a result of frictional effects associated with tidal deformations caused by the Earth.

Long ago when the Moon spun much faster, its tidal bulge preceded the Earth-Moon line because it could not "snap back" its bulges quickly enough to keep its bulges in line with Earth. The rotation swept the bulge beyond the Earth-Moon line. This out-of-line bulge caused a torque, slowing the Moon spin, like a wrench tightening a nut. When the Moon's spin slowed enough to match its orbital rate, then the bulge always faced Earth, the bulge was in line with Earth, and the torque disappeared. That is why the Moon rotates at the same rate as it orbits and we always see the same side of the Moon.

Small variations (libration) in the angle from which the Moon is seen allow about 59% of its surface to be seen from the earth (but only half at any instant).





Any resemblance of this post to the page entitled "moon" on wikipedia is pure coincidence; I assure you.

[analog]

Translation of above: Nights would be darker; the oceans would be calmer; and life would probably be non existent on this planet we have come to know as Earth, if it weren't for the moon. But that's just my opinion.

What do you think?

P.S. Neil Armstrong would also be without a catch phrase.

[austintorn@aol.com]

Guess it would have been harder to bring in the harvest in the old days, plus marshes would have gone stagnant, romantic walks would be under brighter stars, and harder to colonize space.

[Mikal]

Austie...researcher Jeff Mayo says the inner moon in us is the psychological need to be one with our outer environment whereby we achieve equlibrium between the inner demands of the psyche and the demands of the exterior world.

It is in a sense us psychologically adapting to express receptiveness, impressionability and the need to nurture and protect others. It is also our sensitivity to environments and is energy feminine in nature for both man and woman.

It is also our need to never forget that oneself and the environment share and belong to a common reality and origin.

It is our sense to belong...to be akin to ....and the desire to share, to be with and belong and is the urge to participate in anothers experience and reality. It is the functional need of the psyche to be connected emotionally and meaningfully.

It is empathy of the nature of sympathy...also our ability to be wounded...also the psyche's rhythm as it ebbs and flows to survive and stimulate creative potential...it is also assimilation for growth and nourishment..physical, emotional and spiritual


Interesting eh...

Love Mikal

[austintorn@aol.com]

THE WAN MOON

Darkness drains my life away,
Sickness consumes my spirit;
My mantle is heavy lead,
Life’s last glow is upon me;
My eyes are craters gone dim.

Death’s ebon form seeks me out,
He covers me with his cloak.
“Come away with me,” he says,
As he cools my burning brow;
“I offer you quiet peace.”

A sudden strength comes to me,
In my waning crescent wisp.
In night’s cold shadow I say,
“Un-hold my soul, Moon Reaper,
I shall fully shine once more!”

[Mikal]

Austie...you must have beat your moon moments...you rock and you shine babe...


Love Mikal