The nights sky has fascinated humankind for millennia. It instills a sense of wonder in our curious minds and provides us all with a great deal of perspective as to how small our entire human existence really is in the greater scheme of things. The enormity of what lies out there is difficult for us to truly comprehend, even for those who have spent some dedicated time in studying the universe. Of all things far out there, the moon is the closest celestial object of significance to Earth and sits a mere 384 000 km away! For some perspective, travelling at a maximum vehicle highway speed of 120km/h (75mph) non-stop, it would still take you 4 months and 10 days to arrive at the moon! Yet just last week, the 20th of July, commemorated 50 years since man first first set foot on the moon, a momentous moment for humankind. I was reminded of this event on the day through a few posts across social media and, since then have been paying some extra attention to our marvelous moon as it slowly wanes away this past week. This prompted me to flick back into my notes and do some reading up on the moon, its many wonders and colossal impacts it has over the Earth.
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The Nanga female leopard stands perched in a dead knob thorn with a fresh duiker kill dangling below, against a rising full moon in the background.
Contrary to what most people may think, the moon is in fact black in colour; covered by a layer of illmenite mineral. The pearly white appearance that we are all so familiar with is simply the suns light shining back towards us off the extremely reflective illmenite. With the naked eye, and even more so through a decent pair of binoculars, several craters can been seen on its surface. These craters are created by meteorites colliding with the moon over time and have been perfectly preserved in the motionless state of the moons ‘atmosphere’ (or lack thereof) – much the same way that Neil Armstrong’s footprints will still be found unchanged around the land site of Apollo 11 today. The craters visible from Earth will always be the exact same craters as only one face of the Moon is ever seen from Earth. This is because the Moon rotates around on its own axis in exactly the same time it takes to orbit the Earth, meaning the same side is always facing the Earth.
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A stacked image of a full moon slowly rising above the horizon. The reddish colour of the moon closer to the horizon is caused by the settling dust in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Due to the fact that there is no atmosphere on the moon, a few things change on the surface. Firstly, temperatures on the moon can change rapidly and widely. The daytime temperature generally sits at a boiling 105 degrees Celsius (220 degrees Fahrenheit) and can easily drop to -150 degrees Celsius (-240 degrees Fahrenheit)! The lack of atmosphere also means that the ‘sky’ always appears black from the moon as there is no substance around to refract the suns light before reaching the moons surface.
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The spectacle of a full moon rising is something to behold. A full moon rises at exactly the same time that the sun sets on that particular day and then approximately 45 minutes later each day after as it slowly wanes.
We view the moon in a different state each night as it slowly waxes and wanes from new moon to full moon and back again. This process of one new moon to the next takes roughly 29.5 days and is known as a lunar month. While our Gregorian calendar’s months are slightly longer, its roots were initially established by ancient civilizations which based their calendar on the cycles of the moon. Given the lunar month is marginally shorter than our Gregorian month, we witness a ‘blue moon’ roughly every two and a half years where there are two full moons in a calendar month (and no, the moon doesn’t actually turn blue!). The next blue moon will be in October of 2020.
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A rather eerie scene as a hoard of vultures sit and roost in the branches of a dead knobthorn tree with a full moon rising in the background.
With the moon being an ever-present object in the night sky, it is quite easy to overlook. But as we slowly approach yet another full moon on the 15th of August, take a few moments to gaze up at it each night and slowly watch the illumination spread across its surface. It can be quite be humbling in giving some perspective as to how small we really are.
Interesting blog Chris. You mentioned a few facts about the moon that I was not aware off. I remember the moon landing very well. I was 9 years old, and it was everywhere. We did not have television in South Africa yet but it was on the radio and in the cinemas. I have always loved watching the moon, if it is looking at the full moon rising thtough my ktchen window or the new moon in the early morning looking out thtough my bedroom window, it definitely make me realize how small we are.
we didn’t have TV in Belgium either and we visited friends with TV to watch and it took the whole night before the landing really happened! A grandmother of a friend didn’t believe it : it was just a movie , not reality!
We will never forget , I was 26 !
In 2018 we were treated to an incredible dinner in the bush. The night skies were gorgeous and after dinner on the way back to camp Alfie was able to point out so many stars. Some we knew, but because we were below the equator they were in different places. Living in the city we lose these gorgeous moments, but I have to say the series of moon shots was spectacular ! Victoria
Chris, you mentioned the moon landing, I was 19 at the time – I remember it quite well – so amazing that they accomplished this fete.
Well presented Chris. I live on the water in Florida USA and the effects of the moon on the oceans is fascinating. I was wondering if you have noticed any differences in animal behavior during the different moon phases.
Ah, the moon – there is nothing more beautiful than seeing it rise in a light free location such as the African veld or a mountain range. One of my favorite memories from my stay at Londolozi is a sundowner, watching the full moon rise, perfectly situated behind a dead knob thorn tree……the end to a perfect day.
Thanks for your informative blog- after the moon landing I looked at the moon in a different way, but it’s always beautiful and magical.
Cracking photos, and some skills I would like. One day I would like to see Londolozi run a completion for best photos , and if they ever do then should be a section for the non leopard section
Just tell us, was the leopard in the tree with the moon from Paul a “layered” shot?
Hi Guys,
Nope, one photo. Nanga female, full moon behind her.
Here is the full post on that sighting: https://blog.londolozi.com/2018/08/01/the-leopard-and-the-full-moon/
@James Tyrrell, thanks for sharing
We in America were totally submerged in the space program’s advances which was topped-off by the walk on the moon. I think every TV was turned on to watch….even the school children in their classrooms. You taught me a lot in this blog, Chris and I appreciate it. I was unaware that our earth continually only see’s one side of the moon and that Neil’s footprint still remains, unchanged. How awesome! So whether it’s science or viewing a magnificent sunset, the moon affects us all. Medically, there can be some weird cases in the hospital’s ER during a full moon. Personnel are aware and the moon effect the tides as well, but does the full moon have any affects on wildlife….or no. Oh…and thanks for the conversions you made in the blog so we could more fully appreciate what you wrote.
very interesting post, and beautiful photos!