Nearly full moon over Glastonbury Tor, taken by me in April 16 Today is a full moon. Not only that, apparently it is going to be the biggest full moon that we've seen in the UK since 1948, and it won't be this close again until 2034. Tonight's moon is a supermoon. That doesn't mean a moon with a big 'S' on its chest. It means it's big.
It's cloudy here at the moment, so I don't know whether I'll get to see the great, big moon. It will be rising here at 16:48 GMT, so I shall do my best.
It's interesting the effect the moon has on people. I remember a customer at a place I used to work who would always appear with ruffled hair when the moon was full. His behaviour at those times would match his hair; fractious and disturbed. It was an interesting coincidence, if coincidence it was. Of course, the word 'lunatic' comes from the root 'lunar'. Today's Telegraph newspaper carries an article that states that in 2011, over 40% of medical staff believed the moon had an impact on human behaviour, while in 2007, Sussex police placed extra staff on duty when the moon was full following research that showed a correlation between full moon and violent incidents.
It's cloudy here at the moment, so I don't know whether I'll get to see the great, big moon. It will be rising here at 16:48 GMT, so I shall do my best.
It's interesting the effect the moon has on people. I remember a customer at a place I used to work who would always appear with ruffled hair when the moon was full. His behaviour at those times would match his hair; fractious and disturbed. It was an interesting coincidence, if coincidence it was. Of course, the word 'lunatic' comes from the root 'lunar'. Today's Telegraph newspaper carries an article that states that in 2011, over 40% of medical staff believed the moon had an impact on human behaviour, while in 2007, Sussex police placed extra staff on duty when the moon was full following research that showed a correlation between full moon and violent incidents.
Not a full moon (but a close moon) in Llandudno, taken by me Mar 16 Of course, there are other explanations. A full moon provides more light in the evening - the very reason Birmingham's 'Lunar Society' - great men such as Matthew Boulton, Erasmus Darwin and others - chose to meet on a full moon, so that there was sufficient light for them to make their ways homeward in the days before streetlights. Perhaps it's also easier to commit crime if you can see what you're doing. And if you already have some mental health problems, perhaps the presence of huge, bright eye in the sky, preventing you from sleeping, could temporarily make those worse.
Mostly full moon, Glastonbury, taken by me April 2016 I like the moon. I find her reassuring. No matter what happens during the day, the moon endures. Even when you can't see her for clouds. One of my new musical compositions, Moon Song, is all about her (there might be a clue in the title). And the list of other musicians, writers, poets and more that she has inspired goes on and on. May she never crash, or be devoured from within by space fungus. And most especially, may she never be privatized. Sing for the moon!
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