about the moon

moon projects                           1 2 3

Other links:

4Wikipedia: Moon

4Greek Mythology

Press about Moon:

BBC:

4Lockheed to build Nasa 'Moonship'

4Moon 'priceless' for exploration

4Q&A: Nasa's new Moon plans

4China confirms Moon probe in 2007

4UK seeks role in Moon missions

4Europe backs Indian Moon mission

Moon projects:

4TransOrbital: The first commercial venture to the moon

4NASA: Missions to the Moon

   In Greek mythology, Selene - was the goddess of the moon, the daughter of the titans Hyperion and Theia, and the sister of Helios and Eos. Later Selene was identified with Artemis and renamed Phoebe.

   Every night nature rejoices when the dark goddess Nyx (the Night) takes the place of fair Hemera (the Day). A magnificent chariot drawn by slow-moving bulls appears over the horizon. Selene holds the reins, wearing a long saffron-colored robe with a crescent moon on her pale brow. When Selene appears, the sea stirs and crashes its waves onto the shore, and an ill-defined, sad weariness descends on every mortal

   The most famous myth about Selene recounts her love for Endymion, the shepherd she visits as he sleeps. Endymion, Selene’s beloved, was believed to have been cast by Zeus into a permanent enchanted sleep. Endymion was sometimes believed to be the son of Ethlius, King of Caria, and sometimes the son of Zeus.
   The legend says that once, long, long ago, there lived in Greece a handsome youth by the name of Endymion, son of Ethlius, king of Caria. (Caria was a country of Asia Minor on the Aegean Sea.) His mother was Kalika, daughter of Aeolius, the keeper of the winds. One day Selene met Endymion and fell in love with him. Every day Selene descended from the heavens to be with her beloved. Time passed… Selene, the goddess of the moon, knew that the time would eventually come when her mortal lover would have to die and descend into the kingdom of Hades. Selene could not bear the thought of living without Endymion, so she went to Olympus and beseeched Zeus, god of thunder and lightning, to bestow the gift of eternal youth on her Endymion.
   Zeus could not deny Selene’s pleas. But neither could he violate the established order of the world. So he decided to preserve Endymion’s youth eternally – by plunging him into a sleep from which he would never awaken. This part of the legend has led to speculation that Endymion was the god of sleep of the ancient dwellers of Caria. Be that as it may, from then on, according to the legend, Selene could see her beloved every night with no fear of ever losing him.
   Every night Nyx, the goddess of the night, rides slowly through the sky in a chariot drawn by four black horses. A dim glow appears on the horizon as the moon rises. The light grows brighter and brighter and Selene appears, Long-horned bulls move at a leisurely stride, drawing her chariot across the firmament. Selene sits majestically in her long, flowing white robe, with a headdress topped by a crescent moon. A peaceful silvery light emanates from the chariot and gently illuminates the slumbering earth below. When her ride across the sky is done, the goddess of the moon descends into a deep grotto in Caria, in the mountain of Latma, where Endymion lies in his eternal sleep. And she can spend the rest of the night at her beloved’s side.
   According to legend, Selene bore Endymion 50 daughters!