For most people, the Moon is the closest thing to us in our solar system, but how close exactly? For those who don’t know how far the Moon is from Earth, it’s actually pretty far! The Moon is around 238,000 miles away from Earth on average. That may seem like it’s close, but it’s actually way further than some other planets in our solar system!
The effects of being closer to the sun
The moon is much closer to Earth than many other moons in our solar system. This proximity allows it to affect our planet in ways that faraway moons can’t. For example, tides on Earth are caused by our planet’s gravitational pull, which results from being both large enough to retain a solid core and small enough for most of its mass to be liquid water. The moon’s gravity causes oceanic bulges twice per day as it moves around Earth, with high tide occurring when these bulges line up with where we happen to be standing. Without such close proximity to a large body like Earth or Jupiter, moons would not have tidal effects on their planets at all—and even if they did, they wouldn’t have such dramatic effects as we see here. We only notice them because of how close we are. A similar phenomenon occurs with earthquakes: Earthquakes occur when stress builds up along fault lines in Earth’s crust, and since faults need to slide past one another for an earthquake to occur, nearby bodies cause more frequent quakes than distant ones do. This also explains why earthquakes aren’t felt beyond our atmosphere; there isn’t a solid surface that stresses can build upon!
The effects of being closer to the moon
When it comes to certain traits, being closer to or farther away from the moon has a direct impact on your physical features. The most pronounced of these differences is height; there’s a scientific reason why people born during a full moon are 1.6cm taller than those born during a new moon—and it’s not because they ate more protein or lifted heavier weights. In fact, we can thank gravity for our growth spurt. Because of its close proximity to earth, gravitational pull is stronger when you’re near a full moon. This causes fluid in your body to move upward toward your head, making you taller (but also causing bloating). While scientists have only studied babies up until age four months old, so far their findings seem to hold true. If you were born during a full moon, it’s likely that even after growing up, you’ll still be 1-2 inches taller than someone with an identical genetic makeup who was born during a new moon. Another phenomenon associated with the moon is sleep cycles: People tend to wake up feeling groggy around a full moon, as if their sleep had been interrupted by some cosmic force. Researchers at NASA think that might actually be possible: One possibility is that tidal forces influence neuronal activity patterns in such a way as to make them less regular during phases of increased tidal disruption, writes geologist George Brainard.
The lunar eclipse happens when we are closest to it
The moon’s orbit around earth is not a perfect circle, it is slightly ellipsoidal in shape. This means that at one end of its elliptical path, we are nearer to it than at another point. At its closest point, known as perigee (from which we get our word perigee), you can see up to 14% more surface of moon due to it appearing larger in our skies. When it is at its furthest point from us, called apogee (or apoapsis when talking about orbits) we see only 7% less of its surface. These points where we are nearest or furthest from the moon happen roughly every 6 months but vary depending on what part of an ellipse they fall on. It is these times when lunar eclipses are most likely to occur. It also means that sometimes we have no eclipse because there isn’t a full moon during either of these two periods – if there isn’t then there won’t be an eclipse until six months later. This can be frustrating for those who like their lunar eclipses regular, but astronomers don’t mind so much! There is a similar phenomenon with solar eclipses, but instead of occurring once every 6 months, they occur once every 18 years. That’s why there hasn’t been one since 1999, and we won’t see another until 2018.
A solar eclipse only happens when we are furthest from it
Ever wonder why we don’t see solar eclipses more often? The answer lies in our planet’s constant journey around our sun. If a total solar eclipse were to occur at any point on our orbit, it would only be visible from certain points on Earth. That is because Earth’s orbit is an ellipse—not a perfect circle—and its plane of rotation is tilted with respect to its orbital plane by about 23 degrees. This means that every month, when our planet passes closest to the sun (at perihelion), it is not directly in line with it. Therefore, if you want to see a solar eclipse, you have to wait for our planet to reach aphelion – or its farthest point from the sun – which happens once every year and three months. So next time you hear someone say it’s just another day! remind them that they are missing out on one of nature’s most spectacular shows.
At aphelion, our planet’s orbital speed is also slower than usual, so our distance from the sun changes less quickly than during perihelion. We therefore spend longer catching up with it after passing through aphelion than before reaching it. And that’s where things get interesting: since Earth takes longer to cover these extra few million kilometres after passing through aphelion than before reaching it, then so does its shadow!
Practical advice for travelling during an eclipse
If you’re planning to travel during an eclipse, keep in mind that many airlines require passengers to have a special reservation number before booking flights that take place during or around an eclipse. If you don’t make one of these reservations, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to get a seat on your preferred flight. So it pays to plan ahead. If you can’t find any information about how your particular airline handles eclipses, give them a call directly and ask what their policy is; they may not post it online for some reason. As always, be sure to check with local transportation agencies as well—you might need permits or other paperwork if you plan on driving in areas where roads will close for safety reasons during an eclipse. And remember: even though it’s exciting to see a total solar eclipse, never look directly at it without proper eye protection! The sun is powerful enough even when 99% of its light is blocked out by the moon. To ensure your eyes are safe from damage, make sure you use certified solar viewing glasses when looking at any part of an eclipse.
