Is it really made of cheese?

Many moons ago: 10 lunar facts you might not know

Image: Sanni Sahil

Humanity has always had the Moon as a companion, using it to track time and the seasons and even believing it capable of affecting people’s behavior. As Earth’s only natural satellite, the Moon has a significant influence on our planet, from causing tides to keeping the globe from tilting even more. Let’s learn more about her!

Image: Nicolas Thomas

No one is certain about how the Moon came to be, but scientists have some educated guesses. The most widely accepted hypothesis is that the Moon is a by-product of a collision between a very young planet Earth and another celestial body the size of Mars. This collision not only left Earth permanently tilted, but it also blasted large amounts of material into space. The Moon is thought to have formed from this debris and, in consequence, is related to Earth.

Image: Dennys Hess

Similar to Earth, the Moon also experiences ‘earthquakes’ or, in this case, moonquakes. But, unlike Earth, the Moon lacks tectonic plates. Instead, its seismic activity is caused by meteorite impacts, the gravitational pull of the Earth and the Sun, and shrinkage due to heating and cooling. These quakes are nowhere near as strong as an earthquake, but they are significant enough to pose challenges for the construction of permanent lunar bases.

Image: v2osk

One side of the Moon is always obscured, but this doesn’t mean it is perpetually dark. Each face of the moon experiences about two weeks of sunlight at a time, while the other side experiences night. However, one of its sides is constantly facing away from the Earth, which means there is a side that we don’t see. It has been called ‘the far side’ and ‘the dark side’, not because it lacks light, but because it is unknown.

Image: Bernd 📷 Dittrich

We always see the same face of the Moon from Earth, but its appearance changes depending on our location. It’s largely a matter of perspective: from the Northern hemisphere, the Moon is perceived "upright", while in the Southern hemisphere it appears effectively "upside down." A waxing crescent moon looks like a "D" in the North, but like a "C" in the South, with the light on the left. This explains why Northern hemisphere cultures have traditionally seen a man or rabbit in the Moon, while Southern hemisphere cultures haven’t. The markings on the Moon are the same, but they are perceived differently.

Image: NASA

American astronauts and Soviet spacecraft landers have left several flags and banners on the Moon, but they are merely symbolic. According to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, outer space and its celestial bodies—the Moon included—belong to mankind as a whole, and can’t be legally claimed by a single nation or owned as private property. The same treaty states that the Moon can only be used for peaceful purposes, prohibiting military installations and nuclear weapons. In recent years, however, the U.S. and other countries have challenged the Outer Space Treaty.

Image: Jenin Abumazen

The Moon has its own gravity, weaker than Earth’s because of the size difference, yet it still exerts a significant influence on our planet. The Moon’s gravitational pull helps stabilize Earth’s axial tilt, preventing it from shifting constantly. This pull is the reason tides exist: water is a fluid, so it moves much more easily than land when pulled by the Moon’s gravitational force, creating the familiar rise and fall of the oceans.

Image: NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Did you know that only twelve people have ever walked on the Moon? Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first to do so, on July 20, 1969, and the last was Gene Cernan on December 14, 1972. All twelve moonwalkers were American astronauts from NASA’s Apollo program. In total, six Apollo missions successfully landed astronauts on the Moon.

Image: Victor Kallenbach

Unlike solar eclipses, the Moon is not completely darkened during a lunar eclipse. It is illuminated by the refraction of sunlight on Earth. As the light passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, it scatters, causing the light and the Moon to be perceived as reddish or as a ‘Blood Moon.’

Image: Benjamin Voros

Solar calendars are widely used today, but this wasn’t always the case. The lunar cycle and the phases of the Moon have been used to track time for thousands of years, and they are the origin of the idea of months and weeks. Although most of the world now officially uses the Gregorian solar calendar, the continued importance of lunar calendars can be seen in observances such as the Lunar New Year in many Asian cultures, the calculation of Easter in Christianity, Ramadan in the Islamic world, and festivals such as Holi and Diwali in Hindu traditions.

Image: Luca

Werewolves, witches, lunatics. What does the Moon have to do with them? Cultures all around the world have, at some point, believed that the Moon had a powerful influence on human behavior, much as it does on Earth itself. Full moons in particular were thought to cause sleep deprivation and worsen mental conditions. Individuals who were ‘moonstruck’ were dubbed ‘lunatics,’ after luna, the Latin word for the Moon.

Do you bluff often?

11 common phrases derived from board games and card games

Image: Nik Korba

Since most games are composed of rules and repeated actions, it is only natural that certain phrases are repeated throughout the gameplay. The metaphorical potential of some of these phrases has led to them becoming part of our everyday language. Do you use any of these?

Image: Valiant Made

This phrase, often used to describe a situation in which a goal is almost reached, comes from an old parlor game where the participant would roll two dice, hoping to get a seven and win a cigar.

If the resulting number were two fours, the croupier would say, "Oh, you rolled two fours? Close, but no cigar."

Image: Saad Chaudhry

In the game of Monopoly, a "Get Out of Jail" card is a useful commodity to have, since it saves you from spending time in the can, and it can be used whenever you want.

In the real world, when someone is said to "have a Get Out of Jail Card", this person can get away with things that would normally get them in trouble.

Image: Michael LaRosa

This is a phrase often used to describe a suspicious statement, and it has its origin in the game Apples and Werewolves, where a character might say this line after noticing something suspicious.

Image: Amanda Jones

The phrase "drawing thin" usually refers to a situation in which your options are getting worse and worse every time.

This phrase originates from a Poker hand with very low but still feasible odds of winning.

Image: sk

The phrase "move a knight" comes from the ancient game of Chess, and it refers to the action of moving one’s horse figure, the knight, into action.

In the real world, the saying "move a knight" is commonly used to describe an instance when someone made a bold and unexpected move.

Image: Igal Ness

In a card game, an ante is the amount of money one puts on the table as his or her bet at the start of a game.

In the real world, this phrase is used to describe the action of paying the money for something.

Image: Daniel Dan

Within card games like Poker, the act of "showing your hands" implies laying down the cards and revealing them to the other players.

In the real world, showing one’s hand means being honest and open about one’s intentions.

Image: Galen Crout

In the board game Catan, a situation can arise where a participant cannot access resources despite being the nearest one to them, while the other participants can.

Similarly, in the real world, the expression "to be Cataned" is used to describe the instance where someone is deprived of accessing resources despite his or her proximity to them.

Image: Rickie-Tom Schünemann

In the world of card games, "overplaying one’s hand" means thinking that one has better cards than the ones actually in possession.

Likewise, in the real world, overplaying one’s hand describes the action of overestimating one’s strength.

Image: Eduardo Escalante

When playing a card game, players often show their honesty by keeping their hands above the table, which was originally called "board".

In the real world, doing things above board means acting transparently and straightforwardly.

Image: Alessandro Bogliari

When playing a card game, deciding when and how to execute each movement is paramount to your success. This is called "playing your cards right".

Similarly, in the real world, to play your cards right means to make the best of your opportunities and resources in order to achieve your goal.