Lunar Phases Essay

Lunar phase (or Moon phase) refers to the appearance of the illuminated bunch of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases metamorphose cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun. One half of the lunar surface is always illuminated by the Sun (except during lunar eclipses), and is hence bright, but the portion of the illuminated hemisphere that is visible to an observer can vary from 100% ( generous dream) to 0% (new lunar month). The boundary between the illuminated and unilluminated hemispheres is called the terminator.The lunar effect is a theory which overlaps into sociology, psychology and physiology suggesting that there is correlation between detail stages of the Earths lunar regular recurrence and deviant expression in human beings. It is a pseudoscientific theory, however. The claims of a correlation of lunar phases to human behavior do non hold up under scientific scruti ny.Over the past 30 years, even more evidence has emerged to stress that this is pseudoscience. The theory is sometimes also referred to as the Transylvanian hypothesis or the Transylvanian effect in scholarly literature.The notion behind the lunar effect has fascinated many behavioralists and warranted many experiments and studies. just about experiments, however, have open no correlation between the variables and, thus, rebutd the theory. in that location are some studies which have results the researchers claimed supported the theory. For example, a study concluded that schizophrenic patients verbalise signs of deterioration, in terms of quality of life and mental well-being, during the time of a just moon. Some researchers have claimed that there were strong positive correlations between physiological changes much(prenominal) as induced seizures in epileptic and non-epileptic people and the full moon period in studies they conducted. One study concluded that a statisticall y significant correlations for gastrointestinal bleeding among males in particular during this time. However, most of these findings are based on small-scale research.On the other hand, the majority of scientific research seems to refute the theory of the lunar effect. Psychologist Ivan Kelly of the University of Saskatchewan (with James Rotton and Roger Culver) did a meta- analysis of thirty-seven studies that examined relationships between the moons four phases and human behavior. The meta-analysis revealed no correlation. They also checked twenty-three studies that had claimed to show correlation, and nearly half of these contained at least one statistical error. Kelly, Ronnie Martins, and Donald Saklofske evaluated twenty-one studies of possesss related to the phase of the moon and found no correlation. The scientific data supports the examine that there is no causal relationship between lunar phenomena and human behavior. (Diefendorf 2007113)A study of 4,190 suicides in Sacr amento County over a 58-year period showed no correlation to the phase of the moon.A 1992 paper by Martens, Kelly, and Saklofske reviewed twenty studies examining correlations between Moon phase and suicides. Most of the twenty studies found no correlation and the ones that did tarradiddle positive results were inconsistent with each other. Psychologist Arnold Lieber of the University of Miami reported a correlation of homicides in Dade County to moon phase, but later analysis of the data including that by astronomer George Abell did not support Liebers conclusions. Kelly, Rotton, and Culver point out that Lieber and Carolyn Sherin used inappropriate and misleading statistical procedures.When more appropriate tests were done, no correlation between homicides and the phase of the moon was found.Astronomer Daniel Caton analyzed 70,000,000 birth records from the National Center for Health Statistics, and no correlation between births and moon phase was found. Kelly, Rotton, and Culv er report that Caton examined 45,000,000 births and found a weak confidential information around the third quarter phase of the Moon, while the full moon and new moon phases had an intermediate or slightly below average birth rate.In 1959 Walter and Abraham Menaker reported that a study of over 510,000 births in New York City showed a 1 percent increase in births in the two weeks afterwards full moon.In 1967 Walter Menaker studied another 500,000 births in New York City, and this time he found a 1 percent increase in births in the two-week period centered on the full moon. In 1973 M. Osley, D. Summerville, and L. B. Borst studied another 500,000 births in New York City, and they reported a 1 percent increase in births before the full moon. In 1957 Rippmann analyzed 9,551 births in Danville, PA and found no correlation between the birth rate and the phase of the moon.A fifteen month study in Jacksonville, Florida also revealed at least no lunar effect on crime and hospital room a dmittance. In particularThere was no increase in crime on full moons, according to a statistical analysis by the Jacksonville Police Department. Five of the fifteen full moons had a higher than average rate of crime while ten full moons had a lower than average rate.The higher-than-average days were during warmer months. Statistical analysis of visits to Shands Hospital emergency room showed no full moon effect. Emergency room admissions consistently have more to do with the day of the week.The word stop is etymologically related to moon. The terms menstruation and menses are derived from the Latin mensis (month), which in turn relates to the Greek mene (moon) and to the roots of the English words month and moonreflecting the fact that the moon also takes close to 28 days to revolve around the Earth (actually 27.32 days). The synodical lunar month, the period between two new moons (or full moons), is 29.53 days long. Some occasions believe women in traditional societies without ni ghtlighting ovulated with the full moon and menstruated with the new moon.A few studies in both humans and animals have found that artificial light at night does influence the menstrual cycle in humans and the estrus cycle in mice (cycles are more well-ordered in the absence of artificial light at night), though none have demonstrated the synchronization of womens menstrual cycles with the lunar cycle. One author has suggested that sensitivity of womens cycles to nightlighting is caused by nutritional deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals. Other animals menstrual cycles may be greatly different from lunar cycles while the average cycle length in orangutans is the same as in humans28 daysthe average for chimpanzees is 35 days. Some take this as evidence that the average length of humans cycle is most likely a coincidence.