Picture of the day - October 17, 2005

The Moon Before An Eclipse

Photo courtesy of Jagdish Singh.  Humans have been gazing at the moon for eons. It fascinates young and old alike -  it's the largest and brightest object in the night sky and we can see it easily and clearly without a telescope. And it is so darn predictable - all you have to do is look at a calendar to find out what phase the moon will be in on a given night. Lots of people believe the phase of the moon has a direct bearing on how things take place here on earth. For example, many farmers decide when to plant their crops according to the "signs". I remember how my dad used to consult his calendar to help him decide when to plant potatoes. And it must have worked because he almost always had a bumper crop! Others believe that a full moon causes a larger than normal number of babies to be born that night. I don't know if this is true or just an "old wives tale", but the belief is certainly widely held! I have always been very fascinated by the moon as well. As a young boy I would lie in the back yard and look up at the heavens, wondering what it would be like to visit the moon - I knew it was very far away, yet it looked almost close enough to hit with a baseball. In the 1960's, I sat and stared at the TV screen with wonder when the Apollo astronauts made their historic lunar landings and sent back those amazing images. It was a special time in my life - a time when all things seemed possible to a young country boy who knew very little about the complications of the world. And today, I'm still fascinated by the moon - an unspoiled world hanging there in the night sky just waiting for the return of human visitors. Note: Today's picture of the moon was taken by Jagdish Singh in Patiala, India.   Picture Of The Day Homepage | Submit a photo Interesting Articles