The moon is the closest and only satellite of our planet, a rather large celestial body, which affects everything that happens on Earth. Cyclical changes are called the lunar phases, and after passing through all the phases, the night body completes its lunar cycle. Otherwise, it is called the lunar month.
There is a common belief that the lunar cycle is 28 days. In fact, we are talking about 29.5 days - it is during this period that the Moon manages to go through all phases. It is believed that each phase has its own characteristics of impact on our planet. This is especially true for the full moon.
The full moon fills the night with its dim but all-pervading light, this time is considered to be very special, there are a lot of prejudices about it. They should be left aside, because in addition to this, there are a lot of scientific facts and interesting observations related to this period.
The effect of the full moon on the animal kingdom
Lions and many other predators go out on a full moon to hunt more often, and hunt more intensively. The full moon and the week after it are the period of hunting activity of night predators. This is due to the fact that in the third phase of the lunar cycle, which covers the full moon and a week after it, the moon does not immediately appear in the sky. The first few hours of the night remain completely dark. Lions hunt a lot, as darkness gives them a chance of success. Activity is also associated with hunger, because in the second phase of the moon the circumstances for hunting are unfavorable, many attempts to attack the victim are unsuccessful due to good lighting.
The full moon is reflected even in the life of bats.On the contrary, they become less active, do not show a tendency to constant flights, feeding. This is probably due to a high risk of falling into the claws of a predator; in bright moonlight, a bat is clearly visible.
On birds, especially nocturnal ones, the full moon is also very noticeable. The goat hunts insects, it is active during the full moon, receives a lot of prey due to well-developed vision. In the moonlight, the bird catches and eats nocturnal insects, and in the dark nights prefers not to show itself. A strong dependence on the light of the moon is shown by lemurs, especially lemur ay-ay. These creatures are active at night, but they tightly connect their "schedule" with the lunar cycles. In the complete darkness of the new moon, they almost completely switch to a daily lifestyle, and frolic at the full moon at night.
Mice also respond to the full moon. Their conflicts are becoming more frequent at this time, and interest in food is declining. Needle-like mice altogether change body temperature depending on the intensity of moonlight. The world of insects is also affected by changes in the lunar cycle - the ant lion digs the largest traps for hunting in the full moon, while it has less traps in the new moon. This is probably also due to night light and the greatest chance of catching someone on a new moon.
For terrestrial creatures, the Moon plays the role of a night lamp, changes in the natural world on land are more related to the level of illumination that it provides.
The influence of the moon on the water world
But with the water element and its inhabitants, everything is somewhat different.During the full moon, the strongest tides are observed - low tides, the night luminary directs the earth's waters due to its gravity. It is with the tides, and also partly with the level of illumination, that the reaction of water inhabitants to the full moon is associated. At this time, mass reproduction begins in most species of coral. This spectacle looks especially fantastic near the Great Barrier Reef near Australia. On a single night, more than 130 species of these creatures breed, filling the water with balls - a kind of caviar. Coral polyps respond to moonlight and its intensity.
Oysters are associated with the tides, because they are filtering organisms, they are kept on the shallows and cannot travel significant distances. At high tide, they actively feed and receive a lot of organic matter, and at low tide they remain without food.
The influence of the moon on man
At the new moon, many people experience fear - this is due to complete darkness. It is believed that the fear of the dark is a programmed system of human self-defense, which is designed to exclude its collision with nocturnal predators. But the full moon is not happy - an increased degree of lighting makes many people nervous and prevents sleep.
The dream becomes distracted, which causes anxiety, which is expressed by bad dreams and frustration in the morning. Therefore, it is believed that the full moon is harmful, and sleeping under the moonlight is dangerous. In fact, it is enough to use blackout curtains or not to sleep by the window to maintain a comfortable state of mind, to ensure a healthy sleep.
The full moon is a unique time, the whole living world reacts to this event. But you should definitely not associate it with prejudice.
