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The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth. The planet's closest satellite to the sun, since the planets closest to the sun, Mercury and Venus, have no satellites. The second brightest object in the earth's sky after the sun and the fifth largest natural satellite of a planet in the solar system. The average distance between the centers of the Earth and the Moon is 384,467 km (0.00257 AU, ~ 30 Earth diameters).

The moon excited the minds of the most ancient thinkers long before the advent of modern astronomy. Legends were formed about her, storytellers glorified her. At the same time, many features of the behavior of the night star were noticed. Even then, people began to understand how the influence of the moon on the earth is expressed. In many ways, for ancient scientists, it manifested itself in the management of certain aspects of the behavior of people and animals, the impact on magical rituals. However, the Moon and its influence were considered not only from the point of view of astrology. So, already in the period of Antiquity, the relationship between the lunar cycle and the tides was noticed. Today, science knows almost everything about the impact of the night star on our planet.

Perhaps everyone knows that the night luminary always looks at the Earth with only one of its sides. The far side of the moon has long been inaccessible to study. The situation was reversed by the rapid development of astronautics in the last century. Now there are sufficiently detailed maps of the entire lunar surface.

Ebb and flow

If you do not know how often the tides occur, you can be far from the coast and even die under the advancing water mass. The coastal peoples perfectly knew the timetable for the arrival and departure of the waters. This phenomenon occurs twice a day. Moreover, ebbs and flows exist not only in the seas and oceans. All water sources are influenced by the moon. But far from the seas, this is almost imperceptible: sometimes the water rises a little, then it falls a little.

Fluid is the only natural element that moves behind the moon, making oscillations. A stone or a house cannot be attracted to the moon because they have a solid structure. The malleable and plastic water clearly demonstrates the effect of the lunar mass.

The Moon most strongly affects the waters of the seas and oceans from that side of the Earth, which at the moment is directly facing it.

If you look at the Earth at this moment, you can see how the Moon draws the waters of the oceans towards itself, lifts them, and the water column swells, forming a “hump”, or rather, two “humps” appear - high from the side where the Moon is located , and less pronounced on the opposite side.

"Humps" precisely follow the movement of the Moon around the Earth. Since the world ocean is a single whole and the waters in it communicate, the humps move from the coast, then to the coast. Since the Moon passes twice through points located at a distance of 180 degrees from each other, we observe two high tides and two low tides.

The greatest ebb and flow occur on the ocean shores. In our country - on the shores of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Less significant tides are characteristic of inland seas. Even weaker this phenomenon is observed in lakes or rivers. But even on the shores of the oceans, the tides are stronger at one time of the year and weaker at another. This is already connected with the remoteness of the Moon from the Earth. The closer the Moon is to the surface of our planet, the stronger the ebbs and flows will be. The further - the, naturally, weaker.

Water masses are influenced not only by the Moon, but also by the Sun. Only the distance from the Earth to the Sun is much greater, so we do not notice its gravitational activity. But it has long been known that sometimes the tides become very strong. This happens whenever there is a new moon or a full moon. This is where the power of the Sun comes into play. At this moment, all three celestial bodies - the Moon, the Earth and the Sun - line up on one straight line. Two forces of attraction are already acting on the Earth - both the Moon and the Sun. Naturally, the height of the rise and fall of the waters increases.

This amazing property of the Moon is used by people to get free energy. On the shores of the seas and oceans, tidal hydroelectric power stations are now being built, which generate electricity thanks to the "work" of the moon. Tidal hydroelectric power plants are considered the most environmentally friendly. They act according to natural rhythms and do not pollute the environment.

Day length

"Defender" of the Earth

Indeed, the Moon takes on the impact of thousands of asteroids and meteorites. Many craters have been found on its surface, which indicate a collision with cosmic bodies larger than 350 kilometers. And what would happen if such a “pebble” fell to the Earth?

For comparison, I will give an example. The space body that caused the death of dinosaurs is estimated by scientists to be only 5-8 kilometers, and this is equivalent to two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. Scientists have calculated that in the event of a collision of our planet with a cosmic body 10 times smaller than the above, about 2 billion people will die. Thus, the satellite can be called the "gravitational shield" of the planet.

The influence of the moon on man

Also, in the full phase of the moon, people tend to commit rash acts, due to excess energy and frequent stress, accidents and crimes happen. During this period, it is not recommended to resolve conflicts, to start serious education of children. As for diseases, they become aggravated on the full moon, a person becomes more inclined to experience pain. The blood becomes a little liquid, does not coagulate well, it is better to postpone the operation.

It is in the full moon that people become overly tired, turn into pessimists, lose interest in life.

When the new moon comes, people are weakened, morally exhausted. Men can be aggressive, nervous for no reason. When the Moon begins to grow, then the energy will increase and increase. Reduce nervous tension, take care of yourself, do not get angry, because heart attacks and strokes most often occur on the new moon. On the other hand, this is the best period to leave bad habits.

The growing moon is perhaps the most favorable period for various undertakings. A person at this time is full of strength, energy, able to withstand high loads, usually the state of health during this period is stable and excellent. Metabolism improves, there is a special flexibility and vitality. Astrologers recommend taking care of yourself at this time, taking a course of cosmetic procedures, drinking vitamins, and so on.

Astrologers have also explained how the moon phase affects hair. For example, if you decide to cut your hair, then do it during the growing moon, because it greatly affects hair growth. As a result, the hair will be beautiful, the hair will quickly grow back, strengthen and get a healthy shine. To make your hair grow back more slowly, and not have to run to the hairdresser often, update your hair during the waning moon. Representatives argue that this phenomenon has a logical explanation. The moon affects the liquid, and the human body is made up of water. The growing phase of the moon contributes to the rapid flow of blood to the hair follicles. Therefore, hair grows faster.

There are special horoscopes that explain in detail how the Moon affects Cancer, the zodiac sign of Pisces, Taurus, Aries, and so on. A lot depends on what sign of the zodiac the Moon is in.

Do not be surprised that experienced fishermen firmly believe that the success of fishing depends on the heavenly body. This is not fiction, not a myth, but a fact that has already been confirmed countless times in practice.

The well-being of the fish directly depends on what phase the Moon is in, and, accordingly, the Moon also affects fishing. This fact should not be attributed to popular beliefs, because scientists constantly investigated and proved this phenomenon. Life processes in fish are either activated or subsided. Successful fishing, as well as excellent bite, can be predicted precisely from the moon. But, we should not forget that weather conditions also have a huge impact on the inhabitants of the underwater world.

The full moon is the best time for fishing, the bite will be just great. The moon is very close to the earth, the magnetic fields are in contact and connected to each other. When the Moon shines in the full phase, the fish become very active, they are extremely excitable, they move quickly. The moon has an influence precisely on the gravity of the Earth, on water, on the ebb and flow, on the sea.

It has been scientifically proven that sea level depends precisely on the location of the Moon and the Sun. The gravitational field of the star and our planet attracts water from huge reservoirs, it rises, it turns out the tide, and then the tide. Just in reservoirs such as lakes, rivers, this process is invisible, since there is too little water. But the tension of the water also depends on this celestial body, so it turns out that the fish bite more efficiently.

Pisces need a source of light, moonlight is great for them. This is another reason why the underwater world is actively animated during the full moon. But during the new moon, the necessary light practically does not cut through the water column, and in the world of fish, a period of so-called drowsy rest begins. This is a perfectly logical explanation. So, since you have planned a hunt for large fish, something like pike, pike perch, make sure in advance that the time for fishing is favorable.

The sun and moon are two celestial bodies that are directly related to life on our planet. The luminaries have a very strong influence on people, but in themselves they have very little in common. Take at least the size: the sun is 400 times larger than the moon.

But both bodies are at such a distance that it seems to us that they are the same in size. That is why there are solar eclipses. Often the Sun and the Moon interact with each other (namely, their gravitational fields), as a result of which the Earth's satellite moves away from our planet every year by several centimeters.

And yet, thanks to these cosmic bodies, we can observe the change of day and night. Now, probably, no one doubts that the Sun, the Moon have a huge impact on the world of living organisms, including plants, animals, people. But what can I say, if these luminaries even affect the growth of mushrooms. It's no secret that mushrooms grow best after rain, in other words, after precipitation. But the weather is influenced not only by the Sun, but also by the Moon. After the new moon, more rainfall has been observed in practice more than once. It turns out that during the period of active growth of the moon, mushrooms and other fruiting bodies grow best.

As you can see, the Moon really has a huge impact on our planet. It constantly goes through an endless cycle of certain phases, which astrologers have long studied and identified. So, if you are inclined to believe in horoscopes, do not ignore the lunar calendar. Try to do everything right, on time, and then your health will always be consistently good.

What will happen in the future?

The Earth and the Moon have been influencing each other for about 4.5 billion years, that is, from the day of their appearance (according to a number of scientists, the satellite and the planet were formed simultaneously). Throughout this period, as now, the night star moved away from the Earth, and our planet slowed down its rotation. However, a complete stop, as well as the final disappearance is not expected. The deceleration of the planet will continue until its rotation is synchronized with the movement of the moon. In this case, our planet will turn to the satellite on one side and “freeze” like that. The tidal waves that the Earth causes on the Moon have long led to a similar effect: the night star always looks at the planet with “one eye”. By the way, there are no oceans on the Moon, but there are tidal waves: they are formed in the crust. The same processes are taking place on our planet. Waves in the crust are hardly noticeable compared to the movement in the ocean, and their effect is negligible.

When our planet synchronizes its movement with the satellite, the influence of the Moon on the Earth will be somewhat different. Tidal waves will still be generated, but they will no longer overtake the night star. The wave will be located exactly under the "hanging" Moon and relentlessly follow it. At the same time, the increase in the distance between the two space objects will stop.

Modern Russian science is more inclined to another theory that the Moon is particles of a dust cloud that the young Earth did not attract to itself.

Since the composition of the satellite is very similar to the earth's, this theory has not yet been refuted. But according to the son of Darwin George, the Moon is a detached piece of the Earth due to its rapid rotation in the old days. It came off near the equator, where the Pacific Basin is now located. But the fact is that when the Moon appeared, the basin had not yet formed, and the rotation of the Earth was slower than necessary for the detachment of matter. Therefore, this hypothesis was refuted. There are two more theories about the appearance of the moon. The first suggests that it was a separate planet, but over time, the Earth pulled it to itself. But this does not explain the similarity of the Moon's composition with the Earth's mantle. But the second theory explains this, but is also unlikely. She appeared in the 1970s in America. Scientists have suggested that the Earth evaporated due to strong heating, and the Moon was formed from substances ejected into space. But there is no evidence that our planet has ever warmed up to such high temperatures.

The moon has a tremendous impact on our oceans. As it revolves around the Earth, the Moon pulls water masses towards itself with its gravity. In the place facing the satellite, bulges are created, the ocean level in which is much higher than in other parts of our planet. Thus, passing through the planet, the Moon creates ebbs and flows.

As soon as the Moon is removed, all the “attracted” water will rush onto the land in a powerful stream, sweeping away everything in its path. The most terrible tsunamis will seem like heel-tickling waves compared to this catastrophe. But this is not all.

Beyond this large rock, our oceans are governed by the gravitational forces of the sun. So, if the Moon nevertheless decides to leave us, then we will not be left unattended for a long time - all power will pass to the Sun, which will be a powerful, but not the most friendly ruler.

The tilt of the Earth without the gravitational forces of the Moon would become unstable. The temperature will fluctuate so much that this attraction will make many parts of the planet uninhabitable.

The "tidal friction" that slows down the Earth's rotation and causes our days to get longer over time will disappear. The Earth will actually start spinning a little faster without the Moon, which will cause the days to get shorter, which is also not the best news for us.

But that's not all. Due to the lack of lunar gravity, the core of the Earth may experience some discomfort, which for us will result in such an unpleasant thing as widespread volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which is unlikely to have a good effect on life on the planet.

Even our ancestors knew that hair should be cut on the growing moon, then they will grow well, become healthy and strong. The lunar month consists of two parts - growing and waning. In order to understand what kind of lunar phase is at the moment, you just need to determine which letter the month resembles. If it looks like “C”, then the Moon is waning, and if it looks like “E”, but without a tongue in the middle, it is growing. You can also use the lunar haircut calendar.

A haircut made in the moon growth phase will help make the hair more manageable, in addition, it will grow back much faster. Accordingly, if you cut your hair during the waning phase, the effect will be the opposite. Such an impact of the Earth's satellite is not only speculation and observations of our ancestors, there is also a scientific explanation for this. Since the Moon has the ability to influence the fluid in the human body, in the phase of its growth there is an influx of blood to the hair follicles, due to which hair growth is accelerated.

Lunar phases are far from the only thing that affects the condition of hair after a haircut. An important factor is the position of the Earth's satellite in a certain sign of the Zodiac. The most favorable days for updating hairstyles will be those in which the Moon is in Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn or Leo. Hair cut during this period will grow well and be less cut. If you want to give a new hairstyle lightness and airiness, but so that this does not affect the condition of the hair and its quality, go to the master while the Moon is in Gemini or Libra.

To make the hair grow slower, but well strengthened, it should be cut while the Moon is in Cancer or Pisces. But the Moon in Sagittarius or Scorpio has a neutral effect on the condition of the hair. In no case do any manipulations when the Moon is in Aries or Aquarius. This can lead to severe hair loss, and sometimes even baldness.

If your hair is noticeably weakened and neither expensive care products nor proper nutrition help, take the advice of our grandmothers and consult a hairdresser during the moon growth phase. And the lunar calendar will help determine the day for the haircut. Who knows, maybe this is exactly what your hair needs to gain strength and strength.

17. Influence of the Sun and Moon on Earth Processes

Factors determining the solar influence on the Earth of the Sun and the Moon can be divided into two types. The first is permanent factors, which include the shape, size of the Earth, gravitational and magnetic forces that determine the retention in orbit and the movement of the Earth around the Sun, the second is solar radiation, which is the main source of energy on Earth, the relative position of the Earth, Moon and Sun.

The shape and dimensions of the Earth are of great importance for the development of all geographical phenomena and processes on Earth. For example, the sphericity of the Earth causes uneven heating by the Sun. The greatest heating of the earth's surface occurs in the territory between the tropics, where the angle of incidence of sunlight on the surface of the planet during the year is the highest. There is a gradual decrease in heat towards the poles. This determines the general geographic zonality of the Earth and the formation of various natural zones.

In addition to the shape of the Earth, its mass, volume, and density are of great geographical importance. These parameters are associated with such properties of the Earth as gravitational force, magnetic and thermal fields. The gravitational, magnetic and electric fields of the Earth are determined by its shape, size and material composition and, in turn, determine the properties and processes of the geographic shell.

The mass of the Earth is 5.976 10 27 g, the volume is 1.083 10 12 m 3, the average density is 5.518 kg / m 3. The composition of the Earth is dominated by iron: (34.6%), oxygen (29.5%), silicon (15.2%) and magnesium (12.7%).

The density of the Earth varies with the composition and properties of rocks and depth from the surface. The average density of the Earth is 5.52 g/cm 3 . In the center of the Earth, the density reaches 12-17 g/cm 3 (12-17 thousand t/m 3). The density of the upper layers of the Earth depends on the composition of the rocks that make them up.

These parameters are associated with such properties of the Earth as gravitational force, magnetic and thermal fields.

Gravity is the mutual attraction of two physical bodies that have mass. The forces of gravity hold the planets around the Sun, determine the spherical shape of the Earth and hold its atmosphere.

The Earth's magnetic field is similar to the magnetic field of a conditional rod, the ends of which have opposite magnetic poles, i.e. magnetic dipole. The points of intersection of the magnetic dipole with the earth's surface are called geomagnetic poles (north and south). The magnetic poles do not coincide with the geographic ones, their position is constantly changing over time. The zone of near-Earth space, the physical properties of which are determined by the Earth's magnetic field, is called the magnetosphere. It has an internal (at an altitude of 3-4 thousand km) and an external (22 thousand km) radiation belts.

As you know, the Earth rotates around its axis in the direction from west to east and at the same time around the Sun. The Earth makes a full rotation around its axis in 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. This period of time is called a sidereal day. However, due to the fact that the Earth simultaneously rotates around the Sun, the actual duration of the day is somewhat longer. For convenience in practical application, it was decided to consider the average duration of a solar day as 24 hours. The rotation of the Earth around its axis is associated with the change of day and night and many earthly processes.

The linear velocity of the Earth's rotation is the distance traveled by any point on the Earth's surface per unit of time. Depending on the geographical latitude, it varies from 0 (at the poles) to 464 m/s (at the equator). In addition to the linear velocity, the axial rotation of the Earth also determines the angular velocity, which shows the angle of rotation of any point on the earth's surface per unit of time. It is the same for all latitudes of the Earth and is equal to 1 o for 4 minutes (15 o for one hour.). The angular velocity determines the magnitude of the Coriolis force, which affects the movement of water and air masses, washing away the banks of rivers, the direction of sea currents, etc.

With the shape of the Earth and its rotation around its axis, such concepts as standard and local time, as well as changing dates and a calendar, are also associated. (Remember what time zones, local and standard time are?).

Depending on the position of the Earth relative to the Sun, illumination zones are distinguished on the globe (Remember how many and which illumination zones are distinguished on Earth?)

The Earth has one natural satellite, the Moon. The moon has a decelerating effect on the speed of the Earth's rotation, which affects the magnitude of the Coriolis force and, first of all, on moving media (water, air masses). Under the influence of the Moon and partially the Sun, the intensity of the Earth's processes changes, including tectonic processes (mountain building, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), and the magnitude of its polar compression decreases. It has been proven that the Moon affects the biological rhythms on Earth, and through them the health of humans and animals.

The intensity of the influence of the Moon on Earth processes depends on the relative position of the Earth, the Sun and the Moon and the phase of the Moon. The different forms of the part of the Moon illuminated by the Sun that we see from Earth are called the phases of the Moon. There are four of them: a new moon, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun; the first and last quarters, when the Moon is visible from the Earth at an angle of 90 o from the east and west of the Sun; full moon when the moon is in the direction opposite to the sun. (Remember from astronomy the duration of the lunar phases)

The influence of the Sun on terrestrial processes is determined by the phenomena occurring in the bowels of the Sun, i.e. from solar activity. A huge amount of energy that the Sun radiates into outer space is formed in its depths as a result of a thermonuclear reaction of the conversion of hydrogen into helium. Despite the fact that only one two billionth of this energy hits the Earth, the Sun is the main source of energy for all processes occurring in the geographic envelope.

Signs of the manifestation of solar activity are sunspots, areas of increased brightness (torches) and explosive energy emissions (flares) on the surface of the Sun (Recall from astronomy the reasons for their formation). An increase in solar activity is reflected in the geophysical processes of the Earth. There are 11-year, 33-year and 98-year cycles of increased solar activity. During these periods, the influence of the Sun on the Earth increases.

Solar activity has a great influence on such terrestrial processes as auroras, magnetic storms, earthquakes, plant growth and productivity, reproduction and migration of insects, epidemics of human diseases (influenza, typhoid, cholera, etc.).

The influence of solar activity on the Earth's climate is exceptionally great. The fluxes of solar radiation that increase during solar storms affect the ozone content in the upper atmosphere. This, in turn, changes the intensity of heat and moisture exchange on Earth.

One of the factors of solar influence on the Earth is the "solar wind" - streams of protons and electrons that propagate from the Sun in all directions. A very small part of the substance of the "solar wind" falls on the Earth, but its influence on the magnetic properties of our planet is enormous.

As you know from astronomy, all the planets of the solar system are in a state of gravitational interaction. The interaction of the Sun, Moon and Earth is seen in the example of the formation of tidal processes in the Earth's hydrosphere. The moon plays a major role in the formation of tides. The influence of the Sun, despite its huge mass, due to its great distance (149.5 million km), is 2.71 times less than the influence of the Moon. The greatest height of the tide in the oceans is observed when the Earth, Moon, Sun are on the same line and their tide-forming forces are summed up. Such a tide is called syzygy (from the Greek syzygia - connection, conjugation). The smallest tide is quadrature (from the Latin guadratura - square shape), when the Moon and the Sun are at right angles to the Earth.

First of all, the influence of the Moon on our planet is manifested in the tides. Also, the Moon is an important defense of the Earth from space rocks such as meteorites. Less tangibly, the Moon affects the climate, the heating of the earth's crust and the speed of the planet's rotation.

The tidal influence of the Moon only significantly affects large bodies of water, such as oceans or seas. The moon's gravity pulls the water in the oceans towards itself. As the Earth rotates, gravity moves through different regions of the world. High and low tides occur on both sides of the Earth due to the Sun and Moon.

The Moon is an important buffer between the Earth and extraterrestrial bodies, which was more important during the initial formation of the planet, when they were closer to each other. However, the Moon is gradually moving away from the Earth, so its protection is much less than in the past.

Other minor effects of the Moon's influence are not so noticeable, except when they occur on a large scale. For example, the length of the day on Earth is slightly longer than it was during the time of the dinosaurs. Tidal forces affect the earth's crust, contributing to the heating of the magma underneath. They also affect ocean currents, which have little effect on climate due to the cold and warm water moving across the oceans.