VINELAND, NJ— Unfortunately, there
will likely be no snow this Christmas to accompany the full moon. The
monthly average for December is 46.3 degrees.
This Christmas you'll be able to enjoy
a full moon, according to the US Naval Observatory Astronomical
Applications Department.
At around 6:11 a.m, the moon will be
full, shortly before setting at 7:04 a.m. But it’ll return later in
the day at 5:22 p.m.
The last time Vineland had a full moon
on Christmas Day was in 1977, 38 years ago. The next one won’t be
until 2034, following that 2053.
Although a full moon is just part of
the life cycle of the moon, it is rare for it to land on the same day
twice. According to the Chicago Tribune, a full moon can appear on
the same date, on average, twice in any 59-year period.
There are tons of myths about the moon
that are just that, myths. One popular myth is that a Blue Moon is
blue, but it’s the occurrence of an extra moon that appears in a
season.
In 2000, a partial solar eclipse took
place during Christmas Day in North America. The next one occur again
until 2307.
Theories always surface when celestial
bodies such as the moon go through a rare event. On Sept. 27, the
Supermoon was tied to beliefs about an apocalypse, in part due to the
Pope’s visit to the US. Historically, people incorrectly correlated
lunar eclipses and blood moons with unfortunate events.
The myth was kept alive and is still
going.
In some forms, people believe that full
moons cause more criminal behavior, as if the moon can make people
mad. However, psychological studies found no link between lunar
events and madness.
In fact, the moon has been a center for
plenty of unfounded theories.
According to History.com, a Bavarian
astronomer in the 1820s believed an alien civilization lived on the
moon. He documented seeing advanced roads, forts, and buildings
through a telescope.
Ancient civilizations like the
Assyrians believed that the moon controlled fertility in women. In
other civilizations, it was believed that the moon deity was a
female. The connection between female gods and moons is hypothesized
to be because of the myth of moon fertility.
The theories get crazier from NASA
never going to the moon, the moon being a spacecraft, to the Nazis
and Hitler having a base in the moon.
But just like the lunar madness, there
is no evidence for any of these myths or theories.
