Earth rise as seen from Apollo 8 the first time man orbited the Moon.
What is the Moon?
THUNDER BAY – NATION-TECH – The Moon is the brightest object we see in the night sky. It’s not a star, but our Earth’s only natural satellite, which means it moves around the Earth just like the Earth moves around the Sun. It’s the closest celestial body to us, but it’s still about 238,855 miles away. That’s so far that you could fit 30 Earths between us and the Moon!
The Moon’s Changing Face
Have you ever noticed that the Moon looks different on different nights? Sometimes it’s a thin crescent, sometimes it’s half a circle, and sometimes it’s a full, bright circle. These different shapes are called “phases,” and they change as the Moon moves around the Earth, showing us different amounts of its lit-up side.
A Journey to the Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission
Long ago, humans could only look at the Moon and dream about what it might be like to visit. But in 1969, that dream came true when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission.
They landed their spacecraft, called the “Eagle,” in an area of the Moon called the Sea of Tranquility. Neil Armstrong famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” as he stepped onto the lunar surface. They planted the American flag, collected Moon rocks, and then returned safely to Earth.
Stories and Legends about the Moon
For thousands of years, people have been telling stories about the Moon. Different cultures have different moon tales. Some people see a “man in the moon” in the dark and light patches, while others see a rabbit.
In Chinese mythology, there’s a story about a goddess named Chang’e who lives on the Moon with a rabbit. In Native American legends, the Moon is often seen as a protector or a symbol of love and family.
There’s also a fun, but not true, story about the Moon being made of green cheese! Scientists have proved this isn’t true, especially after studying the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts.
The Importance of the Moon in Traditional Indigenous Culture
The Moon holds a position of significant importance in North American Indigenous cultures. These cultures live in close symbiosis with nature, respecting all life forms and seeking to coexist harmoniously with them. The Moon, alongside the stars, carries special significance in this regard1.
Indigenous peoples used the Moon as a means of telling time, counting from one new moon to the next in what is known as a lunar cycle. Each month was associated with a name for the Moon, serving as a way to keep track of the seasons and providing symbolic value for the Indigenous communities. Each name reflects what the Moon represented to them in their daily lives and was indicative of its guidance and influence.
For example, in December, the full moon is known as “The Cold Moon” or the “Full Long Nights Moon,” marking the period when the nights are longest and the days coldest. In January, the “Wolf Moon” signifies the time when wolves would howl hungrily outside villages during the cold nights. The “Snow Moon” in February denotes a time when heavy snowfalls made hunting difficult, often leading to periods of hunger for both humans and animals.
As winter ends, the March full moon, known as the “Crow Moon,” symbolizes the departure of cold weather, with the crow’s caw seen as bidding farewell to winter. This moon is also called the “Worm Moon,” as birds begin to catch worms during this time. The “Egg Moon” in April represents the rebirth and renewal of nature, while the May full moon, fittingly named the “Flower Moon,” marks a time when it was believed that flowers would dance at night in honor of the moon.
The June full moon is referred to as the “Strawberry Moon” because it coincides with the strawberry harvesting season. The July full moon, the “Thunder Moon,” marks a period of frequent thunderstorms and the time when buck deer start forming their antlers. The “Red Moon” of August is named so because the moon appears large and reddish, reflecting the sun’s rays even at night.
Autumn also brings distinct names for the full moons. The September full moon is known as the “Harvest Moon,” signifying the time most crops are harvested. The October full moon, the “Hunters Moon,” is named for the time when foliage is fully grown and deer are plentiful and slower to move. November’s full moon is called the “Beaver Moon,” named after the peak season for beavers, during which traps were set to catch them.
The Moon’s Influence on Earth
The Moon doesn’t just give us a pretty light at night. It also affects the Earth in important ways. It helps create the tides in the ocean, and some animals, like sea turtles and certain birds, use the light of the Moon to navigate.
Final Thoughts: Our Special Connection to the Moon
The Moon is a special part of our lives. It lights up our night sky, influences our planet, and has been a source of wonder and inspiration for centuries. And just think – humans have walked on the Moon! Who knows? Maybe one day, you might too.
So next time you see the Moon, remember how much there is to know about our closest celestial neighbour. Keep asking questions, keep exploring, and keep reaching for the Moon.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The body of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei — who died after being set on fire by her partner in Kenya — was received Friday by family and anti-femicide crusaders, ahead of her burial a day later.
Cheptegei’s family met with dozens of activists Friday who had marched to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue in the western city of Eldoret while chanting anti-femicide slogans.
She is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in yet another case of gender-based violence in recent years.
Viola Cheptoo, the founder of Tirop Angels – an organization that was formed in honor of athlete Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in 2021, said stakeholders need to ensure this is the last death of an athlete due to gender-based violence.
“We are here to say that enough is enough, we are tired of burying our sisters due to GBV,” she said.
It was a somber mood at the morgue as athletes and family members viewed Cheptegei’s body which sustained 80% of burns after she was doused with gasoline by her partner Dickson Ndiema. Ndiema sustained 30% burns on his body and later succumbed.
Ndiema and Cheptegei were said to have quarreled over a piece of land that the athlete bought in Kenya, according to a report filed by the local chief.
Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph, said that the body will make a brief stop at their home in the Endebess area before proceeding to Bukwo in eastern Uganda for a night vigil and burial on Saturday.
“We are in the final part of giving my daughter the last respect,” a visibly distraught Joseph said.
He told reporters last week that Ndiema was stalking and threatening Cheptegei and the family had informed police.
Four in 10 women or an estimated 41% of dating or married Kenyan women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by their current or most recent partner, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
