Moon – Characteristics and curiosities – Map of My Sky

The Moon is Earth’s natural satellite, which means it constantly orbits around our planet. It is the closest celestial body to us and is widely studied, and its characteristics draw the attention of millions of people around the world. Just like your beauty.

Below, we bring you various information about the moon so that you understand not only its phases, but also its astronomical, astrological and even mythological aspects.

Get your helmet, we’re going to take off.

Curiosities about the Moon

Some facts about her are quite interesting:

It’s our only satellite

While the planet Saturn has 82 moons so far, our planet has only one: the Moon!

This quantity is influenced by the size of the larger celestial body and the gravitational force it exerts.

Still, what a beautiful satellite we have, right?

It is 1/3 the size of Earth

The diameter of the Moon is 3,474.2 km, that is: it is one third the size of our planet.

The distance between the Moon and Earth would fit all the planets in the solar system

The distance between the Moon and Earth is 384,400 km. Therefore, if it were possible to align the planets side by side (considering their respective diameters), there would still be 4,392 km left!

However, the distance between the two is considered relatively “small”, since the distance between us and the king star, for example, is more than 149 million km.

It is the second most illuminated celestial body, but it does not have its own light

Despite being the second most illuminated celestial body in the solar system after the Sun and followed shortly after by the planet Venus, the moon (like the planets) does not have its own light.

The brightness we see is nothing more than the reflection of sunlight on its surface. Depending on its translation and the positioning of the stars, we see it more illuminated or even not at all!

Works like a mirror for the Earth

When the moon is in the waning quarter or waxing quarter phases, at times it is possible to observe it with a very illuminated section and the rest of its face with very faint light.

This happens because, depending on the positioning of our satellite, part of the Sun’s light falls on the Moon and reverberates on Earth (this is called “Earthshine”, in English).

So, this effect that we see is nothing more than our own planet reflected in it: and the cloudier it is, the greater the effect!

It was probably caused by a collision

There are some theories about the emergence of the Moon. The most popular currently is that the Earth collided with a body approximately the size of the planet Mars, creating a fusion between the two bodies.

This would have happened around 4.5 billion years ago, detaching part of the material – and thus creating the Moon.

There is water in it

Recently, NASA declared that it found liquid water in one of the lunar craters, Clavius.

Initially, the quantity was 354.9ml, little more than a small bottle of water. Although it’s not much, it’s a big step, which leads to several other questions about the Moon’s surface.

At the same time, it can help with future (and longer) expeditions to our natural satellite.

Moon phases

First of all, it is necessary to understand the translation movement around the Earth and also the rotation movement under its own axis.

Our natural satellite has the so-called “synchronized rotation”, indicating that both its rotation and orbit periods have the same duration (27 days)

This way, we always see the same lunar face.

Furthermore, its positioning in relation to the Earth and the Sun causes the phases of the moon to exist, which last approximately 7 days.

As the Sun turns towards the visible face of the Moon, we see it in its entirety. Otherwise, we see it partially or we simply don’t see it.

See the rules for each phase below:

Full: the Sun fully illuminates the part of the Moon facing Earth;
Waning: less luminosity, making us see it partially – in the shape of a “reverse C”;
New: only the “hidden face” is illuminated, meaning that we cannot see the moon or see it with little light;
Growing: transition from the new to the full phase, receives partial light, on the opposite side to the waning one;

In the article about the influences of the moon, we talked a little about how the phases affect life on our planet (and of course, our own).

The spectacle presented in each period is magical and constantly the subject of beautiful astrophotography images!

The Moon in Astrology

In the astrological field, the moon is practically as important as the sun for us.

While it represents our essence and personality (masculine and reason), the moon says a lot about how we present ourselves to the world (feminine and affections).

It represents ancestry, our roots and also talks about our past. The moon sign indicates how we deal with our feelings and hurts.

Talking about the moon in astrology is saying how the exchanges occur in all our relationships: how much we affect others and how much we are affected in return.

It is also associated with House 4, which reflects home and family.

The lunar positioning in a certain astrological house indicates the area where emotions move and fluctuate more or even where some introspection can be observed.

Finally, the moon rules the sign of Cancer, supposedly the most sensitive of the zodiac. The protective and affectionate instinct of the maternal and feminine figure is easily identified in Cancerians.

Moon in Mythology

In Greek mythology, the Moon is represented by Selene, daughter of the titan Hyperion and Theia (goddess of luminosity), granddaughter of Uranus (god of the firmament). She is also the sister of Hélio (Sun) and Eos (Aurora).

Due to its great importance, many myths have been created about it.

In one of them, Hélio drowned in the waters of the Eridano River and upon learning of this, inconsolable, he committed suicide. The gods are moved and take her to the heavens, represented by a beautiful young woman driving a carriage with very white and fast horses.

In another version of this myth, the titans would have gathered together and, jealous of the Sun, drowned him in Eridanus. To which the sister does not accept, she takes her own life.

In a dream, Hélio appears to Téia, his disconsolate mother, and informs her that the two of them inhabit Olympus, alternating between night and day, bringing light to Earth.

Furthermore, many other myths associate the Moon with fertility and multiple relationships. The main ones would be with the mortal Endimion, the great passion of his life (with whom he had 50 children) and with Pan, with whom he had four children: Victor (crescent moon), Romera (full moon), Aluzia (waning moon) and Krinus (new moon).

Be that as it may, the Moon has always been associated with femininity, deep feelings and support. Which makes a lot of sense with what we talk about in the astrological area!

The moon as a gift

Everyone knows that she is a constant source of inspiration!

But have you ever thought about giving a creative gift that shows the positioning of the moon in the night sky on a special day for yourself or a loved one?

Yes! We at use the main astronomical catalogs to immortalize the image of a date (past or future) and show how the universe was at that moment. Is not it pretty?

In this personalized frame it is possible to include the moon (depending on the phase it was in on the day and whether or not it was visible at a given time) and also customize several other aspects!

In fact, after choosing your favorite model for your Star Map, you can customize it with phrases and thoughts and make it even more special!

Create your celestial map now and have all the power and magic of the universe close to you or someone important.

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