Mysteries of the moon explained: A fascinating new series 明らかにする／漏らすs how it's 形態／調整d the past... and will have a 抱擁する 衝撃 on our 未来

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Some howl at it, others believe it can stop them sleeping. Animals use it as a navigational 道具, and without it there would be no human race.

Yet few people realise just how important the Moon is.

Now, fascinating new Ch5 show Wonders Of The Moon, hosted by comic and amateur 天文学者 Dara O Briain, 診察するs the mysteries and myths about Earth's only natural 衛星, and the way it 形態／調整s who we are and our world.

'I love everything about space but the Moon 持つ／拘留するs a special 肉親，親類d of 魔法,' says former Stargazing Live presenter Dara.

'Without it we wouldn't be here. It's profoundly 形態／調整d our culture and 奮起させるd one of our greatest 業績／成就s.'

Wonders Of The Moon, hosted by comic and amateur 天文学者 Dara O Briain, 診察するs the mysteries and myths about Earth's only natural 衛星, and the way it 形態／調整s who we are and our world. Dara ? and Earth as seen from the Moon

And, as he finds out in the two-part series, new things are still 存在 discovered about the Moon that could 形態／調整 our 未来 同様に as illuminate our past.

The show starts at Newgrange in Ireland, a 5,000-year-old man-made 塚 with the remains of a circle of standing 石／投石するs. It 機能（する）／行事d as a solar calendar, but new 研究 示唆するs it was also one of the first lunar calendars.

The word month comes from moon, and a lunar calendar could have helped 農業者s learn when it was best to （種を）蒔く seed and 収穫 刈るs, with the year's 進歩 決定するd by the wax and 病弱な of the Moon.

Dara also travels to Kent to speak to astrobiologist Professor 吊りくさび Dartnell to discover how the Moon's 影響（力） on life on Earth goes 支援する much その上の in time, because it produces tides in our seas as a result of its gravitational pull.

When the Moon was closer to us (it's moving away from Earth at a 率 of around 3.8cm a year), tides were more extreme, meaning many sea animals had to work out how to 生き残る on land, thus 覆うing the way for humans.

'The 潮の 影響 meant animals were given practice at walking on land before the sea （機の）カム 支援する and they got wet again,' says Professor Dartnell. '結局 there was this evolutionary 運動 to walk on land so they could get from a small 潮の pool to a bigger one and so 生き残る before 乾燥した，日照りのing out.'

How big an 衝撃 the Moon still has on humans is debatable, but its 衝撃 on other creatures is （疑いを）晴らす. Dara 会合，会うs a 農業者 in Cornwall to find out why cows are more fer tile at a 十分な moon, and learns from a fisherman how tides 影響する／感情 where fish 全住民s 栄える.

But while it's been 証明するd that humans do sleep いっそう少なく when there's a 十分な moon, Dara discovers the idea it can 影響する／感情 menstruation or even 罪，犯罪 率s is little more than 'pseudo-science'.

Pictured: New 研究 示唆するs that Ireland’s Newgrange 場所／位置 was one of the first-ever lunar calendars

The series also 診察するs our growing knowledge about the surface of the Moon itself, with new 研究 on 激しく揺するs collected on previous moon 上陸s finding 証拠 of water on what had been thought to be a 乾燥した，日照りの, arid surface.

Dara also hears about 計画（する）s for the use of machines on the Moon's surface that might find enough water to support life.

Also, because the Moon has much いっそう少なく gravity than Earth, ロケット／急騰するs could be 開始する，打ち上げるd to 火星 from the lunar surface.

'I'm genuinely excited to know what that is g oing to do for people's imaginations,' says Dara, who says learning about the moon 上陸s 点火（する）d his passion for astronomy.

'To point at the Moon and be able to say, 'There are people up there now', that is going to be a 抱擁する thing.'

Wonders Of The Moon With Dara O Briain, Tuesday & Wednesday, 9pm, Channel 5.