logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2015
17m 53s

Why Does The Moon Fascinate Us So Much?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Why has the moon fascinated humans for so long? The moon in culture, how it affects life on Earth and what the moon is really like. Originally broadcast 21 July 2014.

Up next
Jul 2019
Space Flight
What is the future of space flight? With a successful Nasa landing on Mars and more commercial space travel in development than ever before, astronautical engineers are taking us into a new age. From lift off to landing, rapid innovations are radically changing what's possible an ... Show More
49m 32s
Jul 2019
10, 9, 8, 7: Four Apollo missions
Taking place over just eight months, four perilous and eventful space missions laid the foundations for a successful Moon landing. Each pushed the boundaries of technology and revealed new insights into our own planet. As we count down to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moo ... Show More
49m 54s
Jan 2018
How Do We Rule The Universe?
Governing moon miners, asteroid hunters and space junk sounds pretty tricky, but we better get our act together. This year the majority of space launches included commercial enterprises. Space is no longer just the playground of governments but companies; companies that want to m ... Show More
23m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
What would happen to Earth if the moon disappeared?
To us Earthlings, the moon is the ultimate cosmic chameleon. It’s always changing! Some nights it’s waxing, some nights waning, one day it’s full, and just two weeks later, it looks like there’s no moon at all. This is called a new moon, when the face of the moon is entirely in s ... Show More
5m 19s
Nov 2007
Lecture 30: The Moon
What physical processes have shaped the Moon? In this lecture, I describe the surface features of the Moon (the Maria and Highlands), how crater density tells us the relative ages of terrains, and what we have learned about Moon rocks returned by astronauts and robotic probes. I ... Show More
42m 37s
Feb 2017
Does the full Moon make us act oddly?
Listener Paul Don asks: "I'm wondering what's the feasibility of terraforming another planet ie Mars and if it is possible to do the same thing with something like the moon? Or, why isn't there already a moon-base? Surely that is easier."Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry consi ... Show More
26m 59s
Jul 2019
How Going to the Moon Works
Fifty years ago, the first humans stepped onto the moon. After going back a few more times, humanity lost its taste for moon travel. But it’s being revived again. NASA is planning to send humans back to the moon by 2024 and build a moon base by 2028.  Learn more about your ad-cho ... Show More
54m 25s
Mar 2024
Can a moon have a moon?
One of the best things about looking up at the night sky is gazing at our big, beautiful moon. But why do we get to have all the fun? Can a moon have its own moon? Harvard graduate student Chantanelle Nava helps us understand.  Do you have a Moment of Um question for us that’s to ... Show More
3m 25s
Mar 2023
Hollow Moon
Have you ever thought about how the moon was formed? Surprisingly, there is no concrete evidence. Instead there are multiple theories and people still argue between them. One theory is the moon is hallow and this changes everything we know about physics... But why do people think ... Show More
26m 15s
Mar 2022
How much does the moon weigh?
We’re bringing back an episode from the archives, all about the moon: Why does the moon change shape? How much does it weigh? What color is it? Why does the Earth only have one moon? Why does it have holes? Where does it go when we can't see it? Why do we sometimes see it in the ... Show More
20m 10s
Mar 2022
Tumble en Espanol: ¿Qué pasaría si no hubiera Luna?
¿Alguna vez te has preguntado qué pasaría si de repente la Luna desapareciera? Resulta que la Luna es mucho más importante para la vida del planeta Tierra de lo que pensamos. El ingeniero aeroespacial Miquel Sureda nos explica cómo se formó la Luna hace millones de años. Además, ... Show More
17m 12s