Rebecca Boyle (Hachette)
THERE is a quote I have seen a few times recently on social media platforms. From James Baldwin鈥檚 1972 essay 鈥淣o name in the street鈥�, it goes: 鈥淭here is a reason, after all, that some people wish to colonize the moon, and others dance before it as an ancient friend.鈥�
The quote is about billionaires, civilisation and, of course, colonisation. And it kept springing to mind as I read Rebecca Boyle鈥檚 new book, Our Moon: A human history. The moon, with its proximity to Earth, is the first target for any crewed space exploration beyond Earth鈥檚 orbit, and humans are all ready to go back to it in the coming year (see page 41).
Advertisement
I don鈥檛 get excited by the prospect of space colonisation 鈥� quite the opposite 鈥� but having grown up hearing stories of the Apollo era, there is something fun about being around for this second phase of crewed lunar exploration.
I have followed Boyle鈥檚 science journalism for years, and after spending many evenings enjoying the wonder of the moon through my own telescope, I was excited to learn more. Her book tells all the stories you might expect: how we think the moon was made, how it exerts its impressive but complex influence on Earth, and how we first sent people to stand on it. But it also weaves in tales of Boyle鈥檚 family, ancient humans and, and forgotten history 鈥� some about Boyle鈥檚 own family.
For example, we meet her grandfather, Jack, who was part of a second world war mission disrupted because of a rare apogean neap tide, caused when the moon is especially far away. 鈥淭he marines planned their invasion [of a Micronesian atoll] during a neap tide and couldn鈥檛 understand why the tide not only failed to rise enough but did not rise at all, for almost two days,鈥� Boyle writes.
It is surprising to discover that, before the satellite era, there was no way for military planners to have known how dramatically the lunar alignment would affect the tides.
Boyle鈥檚 long-standing fascination with the moon makes for an exciting read, but it also means that Our Moon is a great resource to dip back into after reading in its entirety.
With NASA鈥檚 Artemis programme to return humans to the moon in full swing 鈥� the first crewed mission to enter lunar orbit is planned for the end of this year 鈥� this is the perfect time to reappraise the moon. And with recent evidence that human activity might be moving so much of the lunar surface about that it is causing the moon to enter a new geological period (we are, in effect, causing a lunar Anthropocene), it is vital to remember the history we share with our only natural satellite.
Our Moon is, on the face of it, about how we understood and set foot on this rocky world, and about our struggle to grasp its influence on Earth. But, at its heart, it is a love letter to the moon. I will watch the Artemis missions with joy and fascination. More importantly, when I next peer at our friend through my telescope, it will be with renewed appreciation. I may even dance, but that might just be to keep warm.
听
