The moon is our nearest celestial body - you don't have to be told that. The barren ball of rock circles the earth, from which it has been observed since biological beings developed a smidgen of understanding, so goes my reasoning. The moon's beauty and mystique have inspired painters, poets, musicians, and writers for at least recorded centuries.

The orbit is hardly noticed by us modern folks but if you bother to look from time to time it appears in a different position in the sky unlike the steady North Star. From a viewpoint in Puerto Rico or Costa Rica it really appears misplaced. I take special notice when I travel. In England the sky was overcast so I lost contact.

Only one side of the moon is visible from the earth accounting for the fixed view that inspires the fanciful description of man in the moon, making it more mysterious than ever. The 'back' was photographed by Russian spacecraft in the 50's and 60's and by US spacecraft many times since.

Compared to the earth our satellite is like a tennis ball next to a basketball - that ought to give you sports folks a real visual picture of size. The diameter is 2,160 miles, equal to the distance between San Francisco and Cleveland as the crow flies. It spins around the earth at an average speed of 2,300 miles an hour in about 27 and one half days. Whew!

At the farthest point in the elliptical orbit the moon is 251,968 miles away. At the closest point is 225,742 miles from the earth. I was priveleged to witness that from the east coast of Costa Rica in 1992. The red-orange ball slipping up beyond the Caribbean breakers was the most awesome view I ever had of the moon anywhere. The full moon looks larger when it rises anywhere, an illusion scientists have not explained satisfactorily.

The US 'manned' landings verified the surface as equal to a recently plowed field but firm enough to support men, just ask the Apollo Mission astronaughts who stepped upon it. Gravity is less there so you would only weigh one sixth of your earth weight. Science gave us information about how the moon affects the tides. Episodes recorded during moon eclipses indicate peculiar disturbances among actions of wildlife.

Some religious days are set by the moon. The Christian Easter Sunday varies from mid March to mid April depending on the moon cycle. Counting backwards the Easter holy day is established on the first Sunday after the first Friday after the first full moon that comes after the spring equinox.

But that's enough facts. Myths surrounding Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana, and her cresent moon bow with moonbeam arrows, songs with a moon theme and expressions like 'once in a blue moon' not withstanding, the moon seasons probably have an influence on our daily lives that we find hard to believe. I feel more energetic after the rise of the 'new' moon. I can do more in my waking hours during those days than any other time. Leaning over my oversized stomach is difficult anytime but now I can resist overeating which makes reaching my shoestrings a little easier.

I am unashamedly crazy about the moon. Does that make me a lunatic?

Naomi Sherer