The Moon influences in many ways how we think, how we feel about romance, poetry, and literature, and even how we feel about everyday life. Primitive societies aren't the only ones that attribute mood swings, changes in social behavior, and weather changes to the moon. Even today, the full moon can have a powerful effect on these forces, and although we cannot explain them scientifically, we are aware of them. According to J. Johnston, "The very word 'lunatic', now thankfully outmoded, is an indicator of the former pervasiveness of this conviction among the general public and medical professionals alike."

The most obvious physical phenomenon experienced is ocean tides. Tides are an essential factor in regulating the entry and exit of marine life and coastal fishermen. But few people know that even tides can affect inland waters and even solid Earth at times when the Earth's orbit aligns with the Sun and Moon. Long ago, when the Moon's orbit was approaching the Earth, it was the lunar activity that brought about major changes in continental topography and continental drift. This reflects the powerful influence the Moon has had on both human history and world geographic history.

Sometimes there is a question that where the moon came from. Was it a planet that got too close to the Earth and got caught in our orbit? It was the result of a collision that resulted in this large "chuck" turning into an orbiting object. This explains the compositional similarities observed in many of NASA's lunar exploration missions.

But this background also highlights another important influence the Moon has had on Earth's evolution that is largely unrecognized. It is the stabilization of the Earth's orbital pattern. Most people know that the earth is an egg-shaped sphere, not round. Honestly, the earth would shake. Without the stabilizing effects of the Moon, this shape would change dramatically, and the axial tilt, i.e. the polar ice caps would change dramatically with each seasonal rotation, more so than we are accustomed to. would also cause much more violent and dramatic climate change. If the moon weren't there to "align the Earth" and keep the Earth's orbit stable, life as we know it wouldn't be here. It may not have evolved.

The third major impact of the Moon stems from this origin, as a result of an impact that "rips" the Moon's body out of the Earth's evolving core. Because of this disruption in the evolution of our planet's core, the metals that are normally intact in the core of the planet are scattered geographically up and down in different ways. is concentrated deep in the core. However, the moon-orbiting impact has made the metals readily available and easily mined, vital to the development of our industrial and technological culture. Again, this is something we can appreciate for the presence of this beautiful moon in the sky.