Current Events

  • Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather
    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong corr...Read more

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    Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather

    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period. Data analyzed in this study cover the period from 431 to 1649, during which time up to 48 volcanic eruptions are identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. You can find the study (open access), published on 6 June 2013 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article. Find out more about how volcanoes can influence climate.
  • EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US
    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, acco...Read more

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    EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US

    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, according to the National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma. The tornado, which remained on the ground for 40 minutes and reached 2.6 miles across (4.2 km), took the lives of 18 people including storm chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. For more information on the tornado, visit http://ow.ly/i/2hfDG.
  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.

Myths about Moon

Many cultures around the world have interesting myths about the Moon, reflecting its prominence in the night sky and its impact on our lives. Visit the links below for interesting glimpses into the beliefs of early civilizations. Do you see any similarities between these myths?
The Full Moon in January is called the Wolf Moon. It is named after the hungry packs of wolves that howled at night. The Algonquian tribes of Native Americans had <a href="/earth/moon/full_moon_names.html">many different names</a> for the Full Moon through the year, reflecting their connection with nature and the <a href="/the_universe/uts/seasons1.html">seasons</a>, hunting, fishing, and farming.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>In ancient times, Chinese people believed that there were twelve Moons as there were twelve months in one year. It was believed that the Moons were made of water. The name "mother of moons" is associated with that of <a href="/mythology/moon_china.html">Heng-o</a>. This image shows the detail of an eighteen-century embroidered emperor's robe including a white hare, which was believed to have lived in the moon.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.</em></small></p><a href="/mythology/anningan_moon.html">Anningan</a> is the name of the <a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html">Moon</a> god of some of the Inuit people that live in Greenland. Anningan chases his sister, <a href="/mythology/malina_sun.html">Malina</a>, the <a href="/sun/sun.html">Sun</a> goddess, across the sky, but forgets to eat, so he gets much thinner. This is symbolic of the phases of the moon, particularly the crescent.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Planet Art</em></small></p><a href="/mythology/Ix_Chel_moon.html">Ix Chel</a>, the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Maya mythology. Ix Chel was depicted as an old woman wearing a skirt with crossed bones, and she had a serpent in her hand. She also had a kinder side and was worshiped as the protector of weavers and women in childbirth.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p><a href="/mythology/coyolxauhqui_moon.html">Coyolxauhqui</a> was the <a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html">Moon</a> goddess according the Aztec mythology. The image above reproduces "The Coyolxauhqui Stone," a giant monolith found at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the Museo del Templo Mayor, Mexico.</em></small></p>

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Explore Myths about Moon

African: Mawu

Mawu is the supreme god of the Fon people of Abomey (Republic of Benin). Mawu , the Moon, brings ...Read more

Algonquian (Native American): Full Moon Names

Sometimes, in the fall, you may hear people call a Full Moon the "Harvest Moon". That's because ...Read more

Aztec: Coyolxauhqui

Coyolxauhqui was the Moon goddess according the Aztec mythology. Her name means "Golden Bells." ...Read more

Hindu: Soma

According to Hinduism, every part of the cosmos is seen as an action of a god. Time is the ...Read more

Roman: Diana

Diana was an ancient Italian goddess of woodland. In Capua and in Aricia, a locality near Rome, ...Read more

Greek: Artemis

Artemis was the twin sister of the god Apollo. Her father and mother were Zeus and Latona. ...Read more

Maori: Rona

Rona was the daughter of the sea god Tangaroa. She was the Tide Controller. One night she ...Read more

Inuit: Anningan

Anningan is the name of the Moon god of some of the Inuit people that live in Greenland. The ...Read more

Japanese: Tsuki-Yomi

Tsuki-Yomi was the Moon god according the oldest Japanese religion, Shinto, which means "the ...Read more

Maya: Ix_Chel

Ix Chel, the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Mayan mythology. The Maya people lived ...Read more

More about Myths about Moon

Historical Events

6/25 Hermann Oberth,a Romanian and German physicist, was born on this date in 1894 Details
6/28 Maria Mitchell, an American astronomer, died on this date in 1889 Details
6/29 George Hale, an American astronomer, was born on this date in 1869 Details

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Did you know?

Did you know that the Maori god of wind and storms, Tawhiri, had 13 cloud children, as well as the children rain, mist, and fog?

Do you know what the Greek goddess, Persephone, has to do with the seasons and the underworld?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Epicenter
xEpicenter : The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface vertically above the hypocenter (or focus), point in the crust where a seismic rupture begins.

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Research Highlights

New Computer Model Advances Climate Change Research

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado has released powerful new computer software so scientists can study climate change in much more detail than ever before. The Community...Read more

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