The moon has been a subject of human fascination for millennia. As a central topic of religious symbolism, philosophical and scientific inquiry, and a foundational pillar for our concept of time, it is hard not to notice her demurely brightening our night sky. New-age spiritualists even believe the moon cycles expel potent energy capable of impacting the collective human consciousness. Regardless of whether you ascribe to those beliefs, it is a decent flex to point at the moon and unpack some of the language around our planet’s lovely companion. In this article we are going to do just that.
Basics
First: The moon is neither a planet nor a star; it is a “natural satellite” that orbits earth. Most major planets in our solar system, excluding Mercury and Venus, have their own moons. Some, like Saturn and Jupiter, have dozens of moons.
Second: The moon does not produce its own light; it is a natural reflector of the sun. When our moon is shining at night, it is being illuminated by sunrays.
Third: As the moon moves around the earth, portions of it are cast in its own shadow due to its relative position to the sun. This change in relative position to the sun causes what is empirically referred to as the waxing and waning phases.
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