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Nature Science

MAGICAL MOON GAZING

The moon rises under the Milky Way as the sun sets.

Our moon inspires art, literature, poetry, music, and adventure, as it’s done for thousands of years.

The power of its gravity to pull the tides, the rhythms of its steady cycles, the morphing shape, the changing light, affects everything always. We mark its time. The phases of the moon symbolize immortality and eternity.

The moon, as a timekeeper, first appears in the literature of the great world religions in the 4th century BC.

Sometimes it’s paper thin. Sometimes it’s pale and wan. Sometime it’s a giant cosmic orb that seems like it comes from another universe entirely.

The glow, sometimes orange, other times yellow or white, depending on the moon’s angle and the relative atmosphere, shines and reflects, without illuminating all of its secrets.

Moonbeams and moonshadows, moon dances and moonlit romances, the moon pulls at our souls as it pulls at our oceans

Goethe was a great lover of moonlit walks, as we read in his travel journal, “Italian Journey.” Van Morrison loves to moondance.  

While poets, songwriters, artists, writers, and other cultural beacons who are moved by the beauty of the moon are too numerous to mention, we’ve curated a few passionate ideas to inspire you. Check them out below.

 Full yellow moon rises over snow dusted Mt. Jefferson, in Detroit, Oregon.

“Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun.”

-- John Lennon, “Instant Karma!”

Giant orange full moon rises in the night sky above the Space Shuttle launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“I still say, 'Shoot for the moon; you might get there.”

-- Buzz Aldrin

A pale full moon rises above the town and mountains in Campania, Italy.

“The moon puts on an elegant show, different every time in shape, colour and nuance.”

-- Arthur Smith

A white full moon rises over the sand dunes at Morro Bay, California.

“I've never seen a moon in the sky that, if it didn't take my breath away, at least misplaced it for a moment.”

-- Colin Farrell

Colorized image of the moon shows off its unique geology.

“For me at age 11, I had a pair of binoculars and looked up to the moon, and the moon wasn't just bigger, it was better. There were mountains and valleys and craters and shadows. And it came alive.”

-- Neil deGrasse Tyson

Artist twirls light sculpture on the beach under a cloudy full moon.

“Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies”

-- Van Morrison, “Moondance”

Man walks up moonlit terraced rice paddies.

“Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.”

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Lord of the Rings.”

The delicate sliver of a new moon shines against red skies at sunset.

“Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly, then your love would also change.”

--  William Shakespeare, “Romeo and Juliet.”

Sliver of moonlight shines as most of the moon hangs in shadow in the sky above the horizon.

“It is a beautiful and delightful sight to behold the body of the Moon.”

-- Galileo Galilei, "From Doubt to Astonishment."

Sculpture of a hand emerges from a beach as the full moon rises in Uruguay.

“I ignored your aura but it grabbed me by the hand, like the moon pulled the tide, and the tide pulled the sand.”

-- Talib Kweli

Orange full moon looks like a mottled pumpkin as we see the detail of its craters.

“Moonlight is sculpture; sunlight is painting.”

-- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Full yellow moon looks like it’s rolling down the stairs in the night sky in Chile.

Read more about Holding Onto Summer in Amazing Adventure Awaits, Still Time to Chill in the Forest, Chill Time Inspiration, Beautiful Road Trips Inspo, and Magical Moon Gazing.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

Full pale moon shine from behind a palm tree in Thailand.

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Yellow full moon rises above the mountains and lake during the midnight sun in Norway.
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