Scientists do not believe in werewolves, but many people believe that the Moon does influence how we feel.

At the end of this week an asteroidA small body in space, made of metal and rock material. Asteroids usually orbit the sun, but if knocked off course they can be drawn into Earth's gravity and fall towards it. will go into orbit around Earth. But on 25 November it will start to move away again. Asteroids like this are called "mini-moons."

Sadly, we will not be able to see it. It is a fraction of the Moon's size, and it will be five times further away.

The Roman philosopher Pliny the ElderGaius Plinius Secundus (23 - 79AD), better known as Pliny the Elder, studied botany and philosophy in Ancient Rome and created the first known encyclopaedia. thought that the full Moon made dew heavier. This created extra moisture in the brain, which led to madness.

In the 1970s a psychiatristA doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. called Arnold Lieber argued that because around 70% of the human body is water, we are affected by the phases of the Moon in the same way as ocean tides are. He claimed that murders and suicides increased dramatically during a full Moon. 

Later studies have disagreed with this. A Finnish one even found that there were fewer murders.

But a few years ago another psychiatrist, Thomas Wehr, noticed a strange pattern among his patients. He found that some had mood swings which mirrored the cycle of ocean tides.

Will it affect our mood?

Yes! Many extremely intelligent people through the ages have believed that heavenly bodies exert an influence over us.

No! This mini-moon is so small and will be so far away that it cannot possibly make a difference to anything.