The Stars Above Mines: Observing the moon
Few stellar bodies are as heavily featured in society as the Moon. Sure Mars and Venus have had their day in the sun in science fiction, but no one offers to kiss under a full Venus or pull Mars closer for the love of their life. Beyond being a symbol of love and passion, the Moon has represented its share of human symbols. The changing phases have been conscripted to represent the cycle of life and death, they have been used by farmers for millenniums to chart months, and countless children’s tales involve dancing on a slightly less than full moon. Humanity has an obsession with our closest celestial neighbor and for good reason. The tides keep the top few layers of the ocean in motion and the closeness of our natural satellite has allowed for an easy target for our fledgling space programs.