Full Circle Booklet Revised

Director’s Note Full Circle began with exploring methods of The Moon takes us back to an age of wonder, presenting science through creative mediums. when we were driven by curiosity. For me it was In its initial stage, it became apparent that the the adolescence, a great lack of responsibility subject deserved more than its usual quantitative and the abundance of time for me to scale my treatment. The humanistic value of science bares periphery. The Moon was the brightest object in itself through the lens of everyday objects and living the sky. I was newly acquainted to it, but barely spaces, allowing us to understand information knew anything about it — except that it was through our experiential libraries. Mundanity acts distant. And it remained so, until the experience as a backdrop for information to be amplified. It of this project that allowed me to converse with also liberates science from its common appearance the passionate people of the Science Centre, The and allows us to draw understanding from our Astronomical Society of Singapore (TASOS), personal experiences. This perspective could be and other enthusiasts. While they were experts empirical yet subjective to the experiences of of its science, its history and its influence, they each audience member, creating a narrative that were also incredibly well-versed in their individual interacts with the unique individual. The objective experiences with the Moon. of this mode of narrativity is to humanise science. These experiences were the spark for the scenes in Hence, the Moon presented itself as a candidate. Full Circle, and the curation of information that As it loomed quietly just beyond my window, manifest in a highly experiential manner. Their barely noticeable yet overwhelmingly present. It stories showed me that science, and the science became an avatar for the existential nature of the of the Moon for that matter, is less than an arms night. How seldom I’d look up to acknowledge, reach away. It exists a great deal in the simplest and how unwaveringly calm it had watched of actions and, contrastingly, the worldly forces generations come and go. The Moon is an artefact that allow us to exist. As science is observational that reminds us of relativity, and that we are a but by the human, science is much more personal and speck in both time and space. Yet, it eludes us. humanistic than many of us understand it to be. The Moon is too far from us. Its science is hard With physics simulation technology and information collected to weigh or understand. We know the Moon by through interviews with astronomical experts, Full Circle its spectacles — eclipses, supermoons, Apollo creates a landscape where science and narrativity are able to missions, and other unapproachable feats of epic collaborate. human interest. A lot of us are afraid to approach its science because it seems too distant from our — Yeow Su Xian (Shu) knowledge, which comes from Earth. We think its science is alien and complicated. In fact, half my childhood had been spent chasing papers through being fed equations and answers. We are not curious enough, and as a result science has suffered with a great lack of discourse.

Based on the personal stories The Surface of the Moon of researchers, engineers, programmers, photographers and enthusiasts within the Singapore astronomical community.



Oceanus Procellarum, the Ocean of Storms Science Centre Singapore, Lim Meng Hwee

Contributors 01 A Singaporean engineer pursuing their Masters in London. 01 has been Moon gazing for over twenty years, a hobby that reminds him of his late father and their childhood memories. 02 A former satellite researcher who has dedicated his retirement years to using his technical knowledge to help people in practical life scenarios. 03 A hobbyist who studies how the lunar cycle influences how people view time — for example, special occasions, calendars, and cultural differences. 04 A member of a local astronomical society that regularly organises activities to promote its appreciation within communities of all backgrounds. 05 An astrophotographer based in Sweden.

Red Shadow of Earth Science Centre Singapore, Lim Meng Hwee

06 A young astronomy lover who dreams of travelling to space one day. 07 An astronomy professor in a local university who teaches undergraduates to apply their knowledge of day-to-day physics in astronomical disciplines. 08 A member of a local astronomical society that regularly organises activities to promote its appreciation within communities of all backgrounds. 09 A hobbyist who often paints the Moon and other planetary objects based on astronomical studies. 09 currently resides in Sweden. 10 A committee member of a local astronomy society in a university. 10 hopes to pursue a career in satellite research and contribute to real world problems with his engineering research.

11 A member of a Singaporean institution dedicated to making science and astronomical appreciation accesible to the layman. 12 An enthusiast working in unrelated fields who started watching the Moon as it was the most visible planetary object from Earth during the night time. 13 A primary school student who enjoys astronomy and often watches the Moon through a telescope. 14 A satellite researcher whose work focuses on sustainability and the engineering of new technology to impact positively on the climate. 14 is based in Uppsala, Sweden. 15 A member of a local astronomical society that regularly organises activities to promote its appreciation within communities of all backgrounds.

16 A local photographer who occasionally attempts to photograph planetary bodies and clusters as a form of recreation and therapy. 17 An astronomy professor in a local university. 18 A satellite researcher whose work focuses on sustainability and the engineering of new technology to impact positively on the climate. 14 is based in Uppsala, Sweden. 19 A member of a local astronomical society that regularly organises activities to promote its appreciation within communities of all backgrounds. 20 An engineer whose discipline involves satellite research and satellite photography. 20 has developed an appreciation for satellite data from a creative perspective as a break from his regular operational work.



The Moon is the brightest object in our night sky. Moonrise — 01 We often consider the sunset and the moonrise as markers for the end of the busy daytime. For many of us, it is a psycho-heuristic anchor for the rest of night, or a prominent basis for our cultural practices.

The Tides The tides are a collaborative reflection of the Moon and Sun’s forces — 02 interacting with the Earth’s shape and gravity.



03— Movement I used to spend my childhood watching the crests and troughs of the tides, only to realise that I was really watching the Earth move, among other things.



The Moon rotates synchronously with the Earth, so the same side is always facing us. I feel somehow akin to it, being able to look closely at its face through my lens.

04— The Face

05—

Synchronous Rotation The time it takes for the Moon to complete a rotation around its own axis is synchronous with the time it takes to complete a revolution around us (the Earth). This phenomenon is also known as tidal lock. When I first moved into my one-room rental apartment, I relied on Moon gazing to help me cope with the loneliness of the situation. Its familiarity and the fact that it had been there for eons provided me with comfort.

06— Ground We take the gravity of the Earth and its While the Moon is held in our gravity, a lot of habitable climate for granted. We don’t us are unaware that the Moon’s gravity is also often notice how our feet stick to the ground present in the smallest, most common objects because the change is slow and routine. We here on Earth. don’t pay attention to the centrifugal force that keeps us grounded.







07— Relativity As the Earth is a larger body compared to the Moon, a clock on the Earth’s surface is said to run slower than on the surface on the Moon. This phenomenon is also known as gravitational time dilation. But as human beings, we know that time is a measure that is also experiential in nature. With that understanding, we know that on an individual level this measure differs with each person and each period in time. When you look at a clock, time seems to pass slower. And I imagine being on the Moon, time would pass relatively quickly in my head if I were staring at a clock on its surface.





Ironically, moonlight gives us the clarity to perceive things in relative scale and in relative time.

When the world slows down We tend to seperate day and night into two In this age, it may not be unusual to find yourself different versions of our world. There is a too caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. To normative segregation of activities natured live in this capitalistic world means we are often towards the day and the night time; energetic required to chase short-sighted goals. activities mostly happen under the sun; slower, On one of those many sleepless nights, have you more ambiguous activities are known to happen experienced the ecstasy of saving a file or closing under the Moon. We observe a varying passage your laptop. It were as if you had broken the of time throughout the day, through brightness, seal of reality. To strive for that one deadline, darkness, quietness or loudness, with our minds and then be introduced again to the billion at the wheel. other deadlines that may present themselves to The night time experience seems to take different you in months, years or decades. Then to look forms among the walks of life — from those  out further, and then further again, to imagine who work during the day, to those who are only yourself going there. The moonlight takes you awake during the night, and those who never on a retrospective trip through time and space. seem to fall asleep. The moonlit world has its ways of enabling us to experience a semi-realistic state of imagination. In our dreams, we sometimes experience blurry amalgamations and permutations of our day time encounters. The dim moonlit ambience obscures the complexity of civilisation for us both to paint an imaginary picture and project our reality. This lack of focus allows us to look closely at the intricacies of life — in objects, in people, in our past, our present and our future. Ironically, moonlight gives us the clarity to perceive things in relative scale and in relative time.

08— The dim moonlit ambience obscures the complexity of civilisation for us to project new realities.







09— Ascending to the Moon Dance of Light and Darkness Science Centre Singapore, Lim Meng Hwee



10— Newton’s Apple Gravity is the first word that comes to mind when I think of the Moon. Its existence, purpose, and movement are all related to gravity. On the other hand, when studying physics or learning about the Earth’s gravitational system, we must recognise that it all goes hand in hand. We operate with the assistance of the Sun and the Moon, rather than as an independent body wandering in a vast nothingness. You can take it a step further and say that humans, animals, plants, and objects all work together. Or, to take it a step further, our cells, molecules, and atoms all have gravity that interacts with the gravity of others.

11—

The Moon’s face is marked by the Lunar Maria, dark plains created as a result of volcanic eruptions on the Moon’s surface. Undaunting Moon Science Centre Singapore, Lim Meng Hwee Lunar Maria/ Familiar Face







12— The Surface Craters on the Moon’s surface appear to us as tiny potholes. Each crater, however, is much larger than we might expect at first glance, with some measuring the size of large basins or mountains.





13— One’s function is dependent on the other