Beyond the stars and sky...

Did you know that there was a Super Full Moon in Scorpio on Thursday.  It was a brilliant sight to see.  A super full moon is no ordinary moon.  It is a special moon that because of its proximity to the Earth it appears larger than usual.  This last super full moon in May is also called the Flower Moon.  This is because it coincides with the beginning of spring when the flowers begin to bloom. It was really amazing.The sky was so mysterious and the moon was really bright.  

Sometimes when you look at the dark sky, you can´t help but feel wonder.  We are so small and that vast dark sky is endless.  We are just a speck of stardust in this infinite existence that extends and extends without measure.  The night sky has always been a comfort and a mystery.  I sometimes think about different planets and life in different places, way beyond the world we know. Sometimes we think we are the center of the universe but in reality, I think we are just a small chunk in a world so infinite that our mind cannot fathom to understand.   

Surrounded by so much mystery in that dark sky speckled by starlight lies the moon and planets and so much more.  An infinite universe we know so little about; yet it's so close that all we need to do is look out the window at night.  If you´ve never seen a meteor shower or a shooting star you´ve missed out on a lot.  There is nothing more magical and breath-taking than to see a spark fly across the dark sky with infinite wishes to be granted.  I remember that the first time I saw a meteor shower was when I came to Galicia for the first time.  They called it "Las Lagrimas de San Lorenzo" otherwise known as "the tears of Saint Lawrence" or "Perseids." I literally cried of emotion! As you may or may not know, I am an emotional person and I had never seen such beauty in my life.  Coming, from a concrete jungle called New York City, you´re lucky enough to see a star or the moon among so many buildings and lights.  It was one of my treasured moments in this life and in this country and every chance I get, I go out and stargaze because it connects me to nature and the mysteries of life.

Kelly A. Roman Images

Fun Facts about the Moon

• 1) The Moon measures 3,476km in diameter – that’s about a quarter of the size of Earth.
• 2) The moon has huge craters and flat planes called ‘seas’ made of hardened lava. That´s why when you look up you think you can see a face.
• 3) The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite – a celestial body that orbits a planet. Its orbit around our planet is called an ellipse.
• 4) It takes 27.3 days for the Moon to travel all the way around the Earth and complete its orbit.
• 5) Although the Moon shines bright in the night sky, it doesn’t produce its own light. We see the Moon because it reflects light from the Sun.
• 6) Ever noticed how the Moon appears to change shape each night? That’s because as the Moon orbits the Earth, the Sun lights up different parts of its surface – so it’s just our view of the Moon that’s changing, not the Moon itself. 

• 7) As the Moon travels, it rotates on its own axis, just like our planet. It takes roughly the same amount of time for the Moon to make a full rotation as it does for it to complete its orbit. This means we only ever see around 60% of the Moon’s surface from Earth! The part that faces Earth is known as the ‘near side’ and the other, the ‘far side’.
• 8) The temperature on the Moon varies from super hot to super cold! When the Sun hits its surface, temperatures can reach a scorching 127°C. But when the Sun ‘goes down’, temperatures can plummet to around -153°C. Brr…
• 9) Like Earth, the Moon has gravity (the force that pulls things towards the ground). But the Moon’s gravity is weaker, only one sixth of the Earth’s gravity, in fact. That means you’d weigh much less if  you were to stand on the Moon!
• 10) Scientists aren’t entirely sure how the Moon formed. A popular theory is that a Mars-sized rock, named Theia, crashed into Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. The debris from the collision clumped together to make what is now… Our Moon!

Discover Magazine

Did you know that the planets make music?  The first time I discovered this it blew my mind.  The music is so indescribable and out of this world.  Which planet is your favorite?  My favorite planetary songs are by Amalthea Jupiter´s moon and Pluto. The scariest for me was Saturn.

This is an example: