Current Events

  • 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.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

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

5/21 Williamina Fleming, a Scottish-American astronomer, died on this date in 1911 Details
5/22 ~7.9 magnitude earthquake hits near Xining, Tsinghai, China in 1927
5/24 Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, died on this date in 1543 Details

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Did you know?

Do you know what the gods Re, Tonatiuh, and Shamash all have in common?

Did you know that Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Seiche
xSeiche : A standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water. Seiches and seiche-related phenomena have been observed on lakes, reservoirs, swimming pools, bays, and seas. The key requirement for formation of a seiche is that the body of water

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Research Highlights

Soil Microbes Produce Less Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Than Expected With Global Warming

Scientists have learned that microbes that live in the soil, like fungi and bacteria, don't produce more carbon dioxide when the climate is warmer. In fact, at first these microbes will produce more carbon...Read more


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