For most of human history, the moon has been more than a distant object in our night sky. It has served as a clock, a guide, a deity and a scientific focus. Now, as NASA‘s Artemis II mission returns astronauts to the lunar system for the first time in over 50 years, humanity’s relationship with our celestial neighbor may never be the same.
In her book “Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are” (Penguin Random House, 2025), science writer Rebecca Boyle traces that deep relationship, showing how the moon has shaped not just Earth itself but also the way we understand our place in the universe. The book journeys through history with a lunar lens, with Boyle weaving science with civilization and culture.
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry: What are some of the biggest ways humanity’s view of the moon has changed over the centuries?
Rebecca Boyle: This is something that I did in my book, was try to figure out what are the earliest relationships people had to the moon. As far as I could find, and as far as there are records for, I think the oldest relationship we have with the moon is through timekeeping — so for serving this practical use of letting us know how much time has passed and, crucially, helping us plan for future time, which is a pretty uniquely human characteristic as far as we know.
People developed calendars using the moon on every continent on Earth. We still use some of those today. The Hebrew calendar is still a lunar calendar; the Islamic calendar is still a lunar solar calendar. In Asia, it’s still the primary timekeeping system, which is why we have the Lunar New Year in China.
Soon after that, we also used it as this sort of watchful deity. A personification of the moon is one of the oldest religious figures on Earth in all cultures that we’ve tracked back in time. And I think it’s definitely changed since Apollo, in my opinion, since we walked up there and saw it was a real place, but I hope people still think about those old ways.
KHC: Why has the moon so often been both an object of science and a cultural symbol?
RB: It’s the most obvious thing in the sky besides the sun. You might wonder, why is the moon the same size in the sky? Why is it always there too, and why does it provide so much illumination? So, it’s an irrefutably important thing.
Once we learned other planets had moons, [we were] also wondering why they’re different and what makes ours unique, and why it’s so important to Earth and what it can tell us about Earth.
KHC: How did the Apollo era shape how we view the moon compared with previous generations?
RB: I think it made it real for the first time in a way that it’s hard for us to recognize now, 50-plus years on. And I think it was a really transformative moment for the moon and our understanding of the moon — the fact that we actually made it up there and brought pieces of it home. We learned so much about the moon’s composition and how it’s different than we expected, and it tells us all these stories about the history of Earth. I think that’s an ongoing story.
KHC: How do you think the Artemis II mission will change how we look at the moon?
RB: It’s sort of this generation’s moment to understand in a new way the connection between the moon and this planet and sort of reframe its importance to human history. It’s the only moon like it that we’ve ever found. It’s a huge object, [and] it’s really far away. And that combination of facts plays a really important role in the climate of Earth, the geologic history of Earth, and the history of life.
I think there’s a very solid argument that we wouldn’t be here without it. The moons of Mars have nothing to do with Mars; they’re just sort of there, like potatoes that just fly around Mars … whereas our moon is like a companion world, and I don’t think people think of it that way — and I think Artemis is a chance for people to reframe that relationship.
KHC: From a cultural standpoint, what does it mean that we’re going back to the moon and talking about future lunar missions and even a moon base?
RB: One thing that’s been on my mind a lot this week is that we take space for granted, [and] we take NASA for granted. This mission this week is evidence that the work happens on such long timescales with incredibly dedicated, intelligent people who really care, and they deserve our admiration, our respect, our taxpayer dollars … and our moral support.
I think just getting off Earth in that rocket is such an achievement that I think people take it for granted. And I hope this is like a wake-up call — these missions that all of a sudden crop up in the national consciousness have actually been building for years and decades. I think whatever reasons people have for paying attention to Artemis, I hope that they’re realizing at the same time what it takes to do this.
Editor’s note: This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Boyle’s book was a 2025 National Bestseller.
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