Matters of space
are so mysterious and intriguing to everyone that we will believe whatever is
placed in front of us using images of monstrous Moon, sparkling stars, glorious
galaxies, intricate nebulae, etc. Two recent instances illustrate our innocent
acceptance of other people’s words without questioning the reality behind the
events or their explanations.
The first
misunderstanding was about there being two blue Moons in August. Last month was a “blue Moon” month with the
blue Moon on 31st August.
Blue coloured images were shown, especially on the internet, to make the
point more colourfully. This made people
think that they would see a blue coloured Moon on 31st August. Of course there cannot be a blue coloured
Moon. It is scientifically
impossible. The best that the colour can
change is for the Moon to become grey in colour when there is a lot of
pollution in the sky.
However, I
myself was told by people that the Moon that they saw on 31st August
was bright blue!! Imagination works
wonders when awakened. However we wish
that this vivid imagination was aroused and stimulated with clearer understanding
of what is actually happening.
What happens
during blue Moon month is that there are TWO Full Moons instead of the expected
only one Full Moon each month. The lunar
cycle (i.e. the lunar month) is almost exactly 29 and a half days long while our
calendar months are 30 or 31 days long (except for February). Hence it is quite possible for there to be
two Full Moons in one calendar month.
However due to the non-matching cycles, a blue Moon month is quite rare
and comes on average after about 19 months.
The blue Moon terminology has come from the English language with the
expression “once in a blue Moon” meaning that it occurs very rarely.
Let us not play
with our imagination. One person even
told me that on 31st August he saw TWO Moons close together side by
side!! That was his interpretation of
two full Moons in one month and he let his imagination run wild.
Another
sensational story that has found easy listeners is that there will be three
days of darkness on December 21, 22 and 23.
It is explained that Universe will align and cause the Earth to be
stopped in its orbit and will stop its rotation. It is true that during these days the Earth
and Sun are in line with the massive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way
Galaxy. However this happens EVERY year.
And do you know how fast the earth is moving, unnoticed by us? – It is
speeding at more than 100,000 km/hr in its orbit and rotating on its axis at
more than 1,000 km/hr at the equator.
Try stopping a car travelling at 100 km/hr you will understand how
impossible it is to stop the Earth from moving.
Anyway this would still keep half the Earth in daylight and the other
half in the dark of the night. How would
one get rid of the Sun? It is such a
scientific impossibility that even someone with basic schooling should be able
to see its ridiculousness. Why do so
many people accept such a tall story? It
is because we are fascination with astronomy and space and our mind is a vacuum
waiting to be filled.
With the
doomsday interpretation of the end of the Mayan calendar to be the end of the
world in 2012, the public was more than ready to be fooled. To counter our
unquestioning acceptance of information and satisfy our thirst for knowledge about
astronomy and space, let us introduce serious study of astronomy starting from
basic levels in our schools and across our education system. The next blue Moon
is expected in July 2015 with the first Full Moon in July 2, 2015 and the
second Full Moon on July 31, 2015. There
is time. Let us prepare ourselves NOT to
see TWO BLUE Moons in July 2015.
END
By
Dr. N. T. Jiwaji
ntjiwaji@yahoo.com
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