How 'Loony' does the Moon make us?

Science has the answer...


Article heading image for How 'Loony' does the Moon make us?

It's the old adage that has transgressed societies... A full moon can make you go a little 'loopy', and with the upcoming 'Super Blood Blue Moon' occurring tonight (31st of January) the question goes, will we be a little extra 'super loopy'.

Science has the answer!

But first, the 'Super Blood Blue Moon' or for short, SBBM.

The last of it's kind occurred over 150 years ago, and is basically just a combination of a 'blue moon' (the second of two full moons that occur in the same month), a 'blood moon' (an orange coloured moon that is created when the little bit of sunlight left in the night sky hits oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the Earth's atmosphere thus scattering the blue sunlight and leaving red and yellow light to reflect off the moon). The 'blood' colour is caused by a lunar eclipse, which is the 'super' part in the SBBM which is when the Earth's shadow moves across the Moon, blocking out the light from the sun. 

Having any one of these happening is rare, having all THREE of these occurring simultaneous is INCREDIBLY rare. Hence, why the last time this event happened was over 150 years ago...

Basically, if you stay out to watch the SBBM tonight, and the best time to look in the Great-Southern is between 9pm and 10pm, you will see a perfectly round, orange ring. 

So, can this bizarre, full moon affect our mood?

The short answer is, Science says no.

The concept of altered emotional state around full Moon periods have been explored by countless scientists throughout history without any conclusive evidence. 

There are a couple theories as to how this idea began:

1. Back before electricity and street lighting, the Moon provided the main source of illumination around towns and homes. Older communities therefore would plan festivals and markets around times when the moon was full and provided the most light... and unusual people doing unusual things at celebrated events would be easier observed.

2. Again in times when the Moon was the chief provider of light, a full, bright Moon would affect the sleep patterns causing less sleep or more restless sleep. Current research shows that a lack of sleep in people who have bi-polar disorder increases the chances of a manic episode occurring. Ipso facto the full Moon resulted in less sleep and more unusual behavior in some people. 

Today with the large amount of artificial light that we are exposed to (go to bed with our phone, wake up with out phone, constantly bathed in synthetic light), it is VERY unlikely that our bodies would be altered by the Moon's cycle and the amount of natural light it produces. 

For more, listen to the chat Sean had with consulting psychologist, Tasha Broomhall, at the link below:

https://omny.fm/shows/draker-for-breakfast-triple-m-esperance

 

 

 

31 January 2018




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