Get to know your moon—we only have one

Full moon photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash.

Some planets have loads of moons. Saturn has 82.

Earth only has one, but what a moon it is. The bright and ever-changing satellite has enthralled our planet’s creatures with its mystery since eyes evolved.

Sometimes it shows up as a nail clipping in the sunset sky. Then it’s a huge glow-in-the-dark frisbee hanging beside your neighbour’s house. Some nights it passes almost right over your head, other nights it barely clears the horizon.

What on earth is happening up there on the moon?

What we earthlings get to witness, when the cosmic stage hands lift the cloud curtain, is a free nightly (or daily) show put on by the sun, the moon and the earth. As the three actors move around from one part of the stage to another, the moon’s shape, height and time on stage all change. And in 29.5 days (almost a month… moon… month… yes?) the play comes full circle.

So the show, although totally worth the price of admission, isn’t really all that mysterious. It’s pretty predictable, actually. You can find performance schedules for your area at timeanddate.com.

Moonsters (officially called lunar astronomers or selenologists) can tell you exactly what the moon will be doing, where, when, and why. How? Simple geometry, my dear Watson.

Read 29 days of lunar shape-shifting to discover what’s behind the moon’s ever-changing shape and timing as it roams from east to west. And become the official moonspotter of your household.