As we all know, our Sun’s energy is the source upon which all life on Earth depends, although this life-giving force is anything but steady. Sun spots and flares are two distinct displays of the never-ending solar turmoil. By superficial comparison, our Moon would seem little more than our cosmic travelling companion, endlessly orbiting our home. Yet, the influence of Luna and her steady gravitational tug and gentle, rhythmic light, keeps us on ‘the straight and narrow’, nurturing life on our beautiful planet*.
Without her presence, chaos would ensue..
There would be virtually no tides, upon which so many species are dependent, and numerous species that rely on our Moon’s nocturnal glow to time their reproductive cycle would perish. With no gravitational braking action the current twenty four hour cycle would become much shorter as the Earth’s rotation would speed up; the seasons would virtually disappear, with weather becoming unspeakably wild. Without Luna’s influence the Earth’s molten iron-rich core would cool and solidify, it’s huge magnetic field (magnetosphere) collapsing, leaving us at the terrible mercy of cosmic radiation and the deadly blast of solar winds. Our atmosphere would ultimately be stripped away.**
So, you see, our Cosmic Companion is rather crucial to our existence. No wonder so many cultures have historically elevated the status of our natural satellite to that of a deity and we have the Romans to thank for the lovely name of Luna.
Another perhaps less exulted tradition is that of ‘The Man In The Moon’. Often, it seems, in connection with the banishment of some protagonist to distant isolation on or in the Moon. Inspired by this notion, I took myself off and found solace in the Lunar Seas…
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Stunning images of the moon! It’s not an easy subject to capture beautifully.
I love all of the different angles and capture of the moon! Very creative and clever!