Belmont
MOON AND TIDES
The Moon’s Influence at Sky Trail Belmont
Welcome to The Sky Trail Belmont stop. Here, we explore the Moon and tides, and how our most familiar celestial neighbour influences the waters of Shetland.
The Moon is our most familiar celestial neighbour, orbiting Earth every 27 days at an average distance of 384,400km.
Despite its distance, its gravitational presence is the primary architect of our climate and our tides.
Time and tides
Every day, the sea level rises and falls twice. This rhythm is dictated by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun.
Although the Sun is much larger, the Moon’s proximity gives it the greatest impact on our oceans. As the Moon faces the ocean, it pulls the water into a “bulge,” creating a high tide.
Because gravity weakens with distance, the water on the opposite side of the Earth also bulges, resulting in the two high tides we see every 24 hours.
Tidal power
In the channel between Unst and Yell, some of the UK’s most powerful tidal currents surge through the water. While wind and solar energy can be unpredictable, the ebb and flow of the tide is constant.
At Bluemull Sound, a world-first installation is harnessing this predictable lunar power. By capturing the energy of these six-hourly cycles, Shetland is moving away from fossil fuels like peat and diesel toward a highly reliable, low-carbon future.
Even during “slack tide”, the brief moment when the water stands still, the system continues to provide power, proving that the Moon is one of our most valuable energy partners.
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