Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-02-09
THE MOON SUPERSTITION.
Explanations and Correction Of Pop
uIar Beliefs and Sayings.


stitions in which the moon plays an i'm
portant part.
Probably even in prehistoric times
men have noticed the face Of the man
in the moon." Plutarch noticed it and
even wrote a whole book on the face.
But besides this, many other objects
are supposed to be visible. The dark
markings on the surface are likened by
the Chinese to a monkey pounding rice.
In India, they are said to resemble
rabbit. To the Persians they seem like
our own oceans and continents reflect
ed as in a mirror.
The size of the moon, as seen by diff
ferent persons, varies from that OF a
cart wheel to a silver dollar. To many
1t seems about a foot in diameter, from
which Prof. Young concludes that to
the average man the distance Of the
surface Of the sky Is about 10 feet. 1t
is certain that artists usually represent
the moon much too large in size In
their paintings. Occasionally they rep
resent it in evening scenes with the
horns turned downward instead Of up
ward, whereas they must always point
away from the sun. The true angular
size of the moon is about half degree,
so that it can always be concealed be-
hind lead pencil held at arms
length.
From the earliest times it has been
a source Of speculation why 1t Is that
the sun and moon, when rising or set
ting, appear to most persons from two
to three times the diameter that they
have when near the meridian. AS a
the moon measurably smaller when
near the horizon, because they are fur
ther off than when overhead. The true
explanation, according to Prof. Picker
ing, is two-fold. Human estimates OF
angular dimensions are dependent not
merely on the various dimensions
themselves, but also on extraneous cir
cumstances. The case Is analogous to
our estimates Of weight, which are de-
pendent primarily on the real weight
Of the object, but secondarily upon its
bulk. Thus a pound Of lead feels much
heavier than a pound of feathers.
One circumstance affecting our esti-
mates Of angular dimensions Is the
linear dimension Of the object itself.
Alhazen, who died 900 years ago,
showed that If we hold the hand at
arms length and notice what space 1t
apparently covers on a distant wall,
and then move the hand we'll to one
side, so that it is in front Of some very
near object, we shall find that 1t Will
appear to us decidedly smaller than the
part of the wall which 1t previously
covered. An analogous effect causes
the full moon. when rising or setting,
to appear larger than when 1t Is well
up in the sky. On the horizon, we
can compare it with trees and houses
and see how large it really is. Over
head we have no scale Of comparison.
The same optical illusion, however, Is
noticed at sea, so that we must cast
about for some additional explanation.
Clausius, about 300 years ago, show
ed that our estimates Of size depend
largely upon the altitude of the object
under consideration. When we pass
under an archway or under the limb or
a tree, we know that we are nearer the
object than we are when we see 1t at
lower altitude. At the same time, II
appears just as large to the average
person angularly as 1t does when we
are several feet further away. We are
in fact all our lives as we walk about
used to seeing objects rapidly lifting
from their angular positions, yet not
appearing as we pass them any larger
than they do when we are slightly more
distant from them. Thus we always
unconsciously make some compensa-
ton in our minds for the real changes
in angular size that actually occur. IL
now, the limb Of the tree that we pass
under, instead Of really growing an
gularly smaller at the low altitude than
it was when overhead, should remain
of the same angular size In all posi-
tions, we should say that 1t looked
larger at the low altitude. This Is ex-
actly what happens in the case OF
the heavenly bodies. Unlike all ter
restrial objects, they are practically
of the same real angular dimensions
when on the horizon as they are IN
the zenith. Involuntari!y we apply to
them the same compensation that we
are expected to apply to terrestrial OBJ
jects, and are then naturally surprls-
ed to see that they appear larger at the
lower altitude.
The majority of the superstitions re-
lating to the moon relate to the wealth
er. Besides, we have the superstitions
that sleeping in the moonlight, espe-
cially If the moon be full. induces In
sanity. Witness our word "lunacy,
in which the belief is expressed. Far
mers believe that the moon exercises
certain influence over vegetation, and
that beans should be planted when the
moon is light and potatoes when 1t Is
dark Many believe that change IN
the weather will come at about the
time that there Is change In the
moon. Prof. Pickering points out that
since the moon changes every seven and
half days, every change In the
weather must come within four days
of a change in the moon, and that
changes will necessarily come within
two days of q lunar change. This su-