Onlookers around the world witnessed last Nov. 14 what probably was one of the greatest spectacles nature has offered -- a supermoon -- but what could it mean to one person and how does a gigantic moon affect people?
A supermoon, called perigee by astronomers, is that point or event in a cosmic cycle where the moon is closest to the earth. When the moon is orbitally closer to our planet, the gravitational pull is also stronger, hence, affecting the natural order of things, especially, human beings.
No wonder the presence of a massive moon has been a subject of movies taking several twists and turns. Case in point, the 1987 comedy drama, Moonstruck, and that short moment in Bruce Almighty where Jim Carrey, with the powers of God, pulled the moon closer to earth to set a romantic mood to impress his girlfriend. For the latter, the results were terrifying because elsewhere in the world were floods and natural disasters.
It is believed that the Supermoon can cause high tides due to the gravitational pull. As for the recent Supermoon event, there were some places that experienced flooding especially in South Florida area; including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Independent reported.
Not only does it affect the environment. It is also believed that full moon event or much more the Supermoon event can cause wild behaviors. So how true is this?
In a report by The Telegraph, during full moon, people tend to sleep for 20 minutes lesser than the average sleep.
Moreover, a lecturer in mental health at King's College London and the author of the book "The Moon and Madness" Dr. Niall McCrae told The Telegraph: "A brief loss of sleep might mean very little to you or I. But for somebody of a condition like bipolar affective disorder [formerly known as manic depression] who may be on the cusp of going into a manic phase, that could be a significant trigger."
Although there had been no correlations found between the "lunar effect" and events such as death, births, psychiatric hospital admissions, violence, even suicides, Dr. McCrae said not to swiftly dismiss the moons' effect.
Sky watchers around the world were able to catch a glimpse on this latest encounter of the Moon to the Earth and were able to see the moon at 7 percent larger than normal and 15 percent brighter. According to BBC, "the moon was closest - only 221,524 miles (356,509km) away at 11:21 GMT."
Those who missed the supermoon a few days ago will get another chance next month on Dec. 14. The next closest encounter will happen again in 2034.
