Jesus Image Appearing on Moon Ignites Doomsday Fears in India

The image of Jesus pops up in some pretty strange places. It’s appeared on Dorito chips that fetch $300 on eBay and seen on grease stains under freeway viaducts. The latest incarnation of the biblical figure is the Moon.

Although some visions of heavenly bodies still puzzle researchers-such as the appearances of the Virgin Mary at Fátima, Portugal and Lourdes, France—some heavenly bodies are simply astronomical.

Jesus on the Moon is most likely falls into the latter category.

Image on Moon sparks fear

The reports of the image of an infant Jesus on the face of the Moon being held by Mary occurred the evening of January 19 and spilled over into the wee hours of January 20th. The unworldly sightings took place across Mumbai, Goa and Bihar, India. The appearance of the religious icons on the face of Earth’s satellite struck consternation, worry and outright fear into many who took the lunar vision as a portent of an impending apocalypse.

Catholic priests in the region tried to quell the panic spreading throughout the populace even as a flurry of news reports ignited a frenzy of other stories about the end of the world.

Some saw the images on the Moon as a warning sign telling the faithful to prepare their souls for Judgment Day.

According to dnaindia.com, the image was clear despite a heavy winter smog.

Witnesses speak

A witness, Joseph Dias, told dnaindia.com that “There was a semblance of a crown on the mother’s head. The image was very dark and it was not difficult to identify it.”

In Goa, India’s smallest state, the clear skies allowed the images across the Moon to be seen more easily. A resident of Candolim Village—a tourist hotspot in North Goa—claimed he was informed about the amazing sight by a Hindu friend. he thought it a joke until he saw the Moon with his own eyes.

“I saw the image at 9:30 p.m.,” he told dnaindia.com. “Even my mother and 8-year old son could see it clearly. I told neighbors and they thanked me for it.”

Many of D’Souza’s neighbors saw prophecies in the startling images. “Some said the kingdom of God is near,” he said.

Hundreds across the region fell to their knees in awe and supplication. Others cried, believing their lives would soon come to an end.

“In the cities, people do not take such things seriously. But there is a lot of fear in the villages. People think that the world will end in a few years and that the image is a message to prepare for the event,” Dias said, in reference to the panic breaking out amongst many of the people.

The Church advises calm

An unnamed priest speaking about his flock of Hispanic immigrants in the Goa region said, “What we require is not Jesus on the moon, but Jesus in our hearts. We Christians believe that everything was created by God and he can put an image of his face wherever he wants.”

But Father Tony Charanghat, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay, stated flatly, “We do not react to such reports in cases like this. There has to be some significance in the whole thing and anything religious has to be considered in all its aspects.”

Science speaks up

Astronomers who were contacted for their opinions said they believed the images were optical illusions created by sunlight striking some lunar surface features at an odd angle.

Dr J. J. Rawal, a former director of the Nehru Planetarium and the founding president of the Indian Planetary Society, explained that “The Moon’s atmosphere is almost airless and meteors crash onto its surface creating craters. Sunlight falling on the depressions creates shadows. Even Galileo mistook those shaded areas and named them the Sea of Tranquility, and so on. Similarly, other shaded areas could look like images of humans or animals.”

Psychologists call the phenomenon of seeing images where none really exist “pareidolia.” It’s a process of perception where the brain attempts to create an image from random or vague stimuli. Often a person experiencing pareidolia believes the image is significant. Examples include seeing human-like faces or animals in clouds, or the famous “Man in the Moon.”