Category: Did You Know

Did You Know? Moon Phases

eFrog

The moon goes through 8 phases in 29.5 days, exactly, not quite 30, but close enough.

The new moon phase is the first. When the moon is not visible in the sky, it is said to be a new moon. The waxing crescent phase is the second phase. When the moon is visible in the sky and becoming larger, it is said to be waxing. The first quarter phase is the third phase. The moon is half visible in the sky during the first quarter. The waxing gibbous phase is the fourth phase. When the moon is waxing gibbous, it is visible in the sky and growing larger. The full moon is the sixth phase. When the moon is fully visible in the sky, it is said to be full. The waning gibbous phase is the sixth phase. When the moon is waning gibbous, it is visible in the sky and getting smaller. The third quarter phase is the seventh phase. The moon is halfway visible in the sky during the third quarter. The waning crescent phase is the eighth and final phase. The waning crescent takes place when the moon is visible in the sky but shrinking.

The moon has really been observed for as long as mankind have lived on Earth. The moon is the most visible celestial object in the night sky, and its phases have long been used to measure time. Throughout human history, the moon has also been the topic of myth and folklore.

The Babylonians made the first recorded observation of the moon around 700 BCE. They utilized it to forecast the shifting seasons and planet movements. The moon was also seen and used by the Ancient Greeks to keep time. Galileo Galilei conducted the first scientific study of the moon in 1609. He realized that the moon, rather than being a perfect sphere, was covered in mountains and craters.

Some moon myths include:

  • Selene and Endymion: Selene, the moon goddess, falls in love with Endymion, a mortal shepherd. Selene begs Zeus to let Endymion slumber forever so he will never age or die.
  • Tiresias and Luna: The goddess Luna turns the mortal Tiresias into a woman. Tiresias reverts to his human form after seven years.
  • The Man in the Moon is a fictional character that is claimed to live on the moon. He is frequently regarded as a kindly person, yet he can also be regarded as a trickster.

Scientists continue to study the moon today. It is visited by robotic spacecraft, and its surface is meticulously photographed. Amateur astronomers enjoy visiting the moon as well.

Did You Know? – Ice Cream

eFrog

Did you know that ice cream was invented in China? It’s true, and it was created there almost 2,000 years ago. It didn’t have anything in common with modern ice cream, at least not the one I keep in my freezer. Even though it was prepared from milk, it also contained rice and snow, making it extremely different from the frozen foods available today.

Initially, the milk was brought to a boil before being blended with the rice. Once everything had been combined and the rice had begun to swell, it was placed in a basin and topped with snow. Unlike the mixing that occurs now, they would then wait until the snow had begun to melt before serving the ice cream.

Ice cream did not make its way to Europe until the seventeenth century in the west. It immediately became a favorite dessert in that location. But not for everyone. It was still regarded a luxury at the time, and only the wealthy could buy it. At the time, all ice cream was prepared by hand, and the procedure was extremely time-consuming. When I was a youngster, I used to assist my uncle manufacture it. We’d sit on the porch and create ice cream with an old-fashioned hand-powered ice cream maker that had been passed down through the family for generations.

I’m not sure how old it was, but in the early 1800s, a woman called Nancy Johnson built the first hand-cranked ice cream maker, which transformed children’s birthdays everywhere. From then on, it made it feasible to make ice cream more readily, though not effortlessly, and it quickly became a popular dessert in the United States.

Today, you can find ice cream in a wide variety of flavors, and the treat is enjoyed by people the world over. There is no need to list the flavors and variations, there are too many, and they never stop coming since new combinations pop up everyday.