The Moon Has A Slight Effect On Rainfall

Scientists are investigating how the moon affects rainfall. (Credit: Public Domain)

The moon has long been known to affect the tides, but new research out of the University of Washington finds that the celestial body may do more than that. The impact this time isn’t on the oceans, but on the weather.

Using 15 years of data collected by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, scientists at the university evaluated the effects that a high moon has on the precipitation patterns over different areas of Earth. They found a slight decrease in rain, of just 1 percent, when the moon was high.

The difference is so minimal, researchers say, that it isn’t noticeable by people. And the influence is not enough to overcome the rest of varying factors that affect rainfall. But knowledge of the moon’s influence is still useful for testing and improving climate models to allow scientists to see if they’re accurate enough to reproduce the effects the moon produces.

Top image: Scientists are investigating how the moon affects rainfall. (Credit: Public Domain)