We Saw The Whole Of The Moon

Museum Of The Moon

At the end of October, we saw the whole of the Moon. More accurately, we visited the Museum of the Moon. Hosted at St Michael and All Angels Chapel, Marlborough College, the touring exhibition is the work of British artist Luke Jerram. We missed out on tickets when the display was in Gloucester a couple of years ago. So when the installation was announced as part of the Marlborough Dark Skies event, I booked early.

The Moon sculpture is seven metres across and features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. In this respect, you really can see the whole satellite, including the side which faces away from Earth. The scale is roughly 1:500,000, meaning each centimetre represents around 5km of the Moon’s surface.

To describe it as an incredible piece of work is an understatement. There is something profound about viewing a three dimensional structure of our satellite close up. A deep connection between humanity, Earth, and space beyond.

The Moon has inspired people around the world for centuries. It has been worshipped as a god. Artists attempt to capture its essence in words and images. The tides are influenced by the cycle of the Moon. Such is its allure, that countries raced one and other in their desire to land humans on the surface.

Around 240,000 miles away, the Moon orbits the Earth once every 27.3 days, and spins once on its axis every 27.3 days. This process of rotational and orbital cycles matching, is known as tidal locking. This means that the Moon only ever has one face towards us. Visiting Luke’s work offered an opportunity to experience the side traditionally known as the ‘dark side’ of the Moon. We could also pick out the Mare Tranquilitatis (Sea of Tranquility) region clearly; known particularly as the site of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Eclipses

Space has fascinated me for as long as I remember. Whether gazing at the stars, planets, or our own Moon, I can lose myself quite easily within the galaxy and beyond. I particularly enjoy watching eclipses when they occur, in which the Moon plays a key role.

Lunar eclipses happen when the Earth travels between the Sun and Moon, casting a shadow from the Earth onto the Moon’s surface. The alignment of the trio determines whether a full or partial eclipse occurs.

Solar eclipses involve the same three bodies. In an amazing coincidence, the Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon, and 400 times further away. This makes the Sun and Moon appear roughly the same size in the sky. It also means that when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, it appears to block out the whole of the Sun, creating a solar eclipse.

Finally

Back to the Museum of the Moon. It really is worth taking in if you have the opportunity. The exhibition travels around the world, with several Moons touring at the same time. Dates are listed on the Museum website. Pre-booking is often essential, and visiting the installation is usually free. There is currently an exhibition in Bath Abbey which runs until 24 December.