Of Moons and Meteors

[someoldguy]

2013 saw some interesting lunar events.

The SuperMoon in June … The full moon coincided with lunar perigee, the closest approach to the Earth in the Moon’s elliptical orbit, and all at the Summer Solstice.

In Mid-October the Hunter's Moon (Blood Moon) underwent a partial eclipse.

In early November, there was a rare hybrid eclipse, starting as an annular eclipse where the Moon does not quite cover the Sun and ending as total eclipse. Here on the Eastern seaboard of the US, the eclipse happened just at sunrise.

And now in mid-November, the Full Moon occurs during the annual Leonid meteor shower. This year’s Leonids are not expected to amount to much. Not only is it an ‘off’ year, near the trough of the 33 year cycle, but it will be nearly invisible in the bright moonlight.

I once saw the Leonids in the dark of the moon – 1966, the most spectacular meteor shower in recent memory. This year there might be a few dozen meteors an hour, But back in ’66 there were thousands of meteors a minute. I was outdoors in the pre-dawn hours, in open country far from any lights. It was ASTOUNDING. In addition, the experience was enhanced by *ahem* chemical assistance. Hey this was 1966 and I was still weeks shy of 20. ;D

Thinking about that now, a strange notion popped into my head. The Full Moon has the power to subdue a meteor shower. But in the Dark of the Moon, those unearthly beings are uncontrolled. Might there be something like an anti-werewolf that exists only when the moon is dark and some other celestial events calls them forth?


Hmmm…

[darkwolfavenged]

That's when poor ordinary wolves just going about their business get transformed in to greedy, cruel, destructive human beings. The horror!

Actually I think that in the current UK kids TV drama Wolfblood something different does happen to wolfbloods (aka werewolves) with each different moon related event. If I recall correctly on the night of an eclipse they stay human shaped but the wolf's nature and abilities come to the fore. The eyes going yellow is the only outward sign. And on a night with no moon they lose their powers, can't change and grow very tired and lethargic. A fun little show.

[someoldguy]

Sounds like a fun show. When I was a kid we only had squeaky clean non-controversial stuff like the Merry Mailman.

In my werewolf / anti-werewolf fantasy, the two types might collide during a lunar eclipse.

Concerning wolves becoming men, I did a review of Howling Mad, which is about a wolf who gets bitten by a werewolf.

[Marcus]

Interesting, both in information about the moon and meteors, as well as thoughts on the alternative werewolf strain.