Indeed, humankind is just one of many living things touched \u201cBy the Light of the Silvery Moon<\/a>\u201d, as Doris Day sang in the 1953 film of the same name.<\/p> The umbilical-chord existence that tethers Earth to the Moon is an incredibly strong bond.<\/p> Both Earth and the Moon duet their way around the Milky Way: a bond that\u2019s absolutely crucial for so many species.<\/p> How stargazing gets you closer to wildlife<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> For the baby turtle after hatching amid the sand, the gaze of its freshly opened eyes focuses in on the moonlight reflected off the nearby sea, acting as a beacon to guide the turtle safely to the water\u2019s edge. <\/p> Interestingly, to the ancient Scots, Norse, Polynesians and Native Americans, the shell of a turtle was of enormous interest.\u00a0<\/p> The shell, when viewed from above, was seen to comprise 13 major inner segments and 28 outer segments around the shell\u2019s edge.<\/p> These divisions were interpreted as 13 Moons and 28 days, the equivalent to 364 days plus one day of rest.<\/p> No doubt you can buy a calendar with turtles on it today; but to them the turtle itself was a 13-month calendar, incorporating 13 Moon cycles a year, each made up of 27\u201329 days.<\/p> Turning to birds, the European nightjar\u2019s migratory pattern is synchronised with lunar cycles.<\/p> Aside from the Moon, most songbirds like thrushes and warblers migrate at night, choosing a single star like Polaris – the North Star<\/a> – for guidance.<\/p> They gauge the movement of the constellations relative to the star, thus calculating the direction they need to be travelling.<\/p> At night, the air is cooler and calmer too, meaning that birds use less energy on their long migratory journeys.<\/p> With the added bonus that travelling under the cover of darkness means less predators.<\/p> The moth, like other insects, engages in behaviour known as transverse orientation, navigating by flying at a constant angle relative to a light source, such as the Moon.<\/p> However, if the moth were to fly past an outside light, the angle of light relative to the moth changes, confusing the insect\u2019s delicate navigation.<\/p> That is why you see them bumping into lights again and again, as if trying to rectify the disorientation. <\/p> Entomologists have found that moths are less attracted to artificial lights during the week of a full Moon than the week of a new Moon.<\/p> Plenty of other creatures, including frogs, seals, and dung beetles, use the Moon and stars for navigational purposes.<\/p> Indeed, the humpback whale uses several natural aids to navigate, including not just the Moon and stars, but also the Earth\u2019s magnetic fields<\/a>.<\/p> The link that exists between wildlife and the Moon is strong \u2013 but it is under threat.<\/p>Turtles and the Moon<\/h2>
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Migration and the lunar cycle<\/strong><\/h2>
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Moths and light pollution<\/strong><\/h2>
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Animal navigation<\/strong><\/h2>