Deaths linked to eclipse of the moon

[snopes]

At least three people in NSW are believed to have killed themselves, sparking speculation their behaviour was influenced by the lunar eclipse.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...006009,00.html

[Eddylizard]

According to this (PDF) between 1998 and 2002,3822 people died as a result of suicide in NSW. I can't find any newer figures.

Which I make to be an average of 2.6 per day (working on the basis that "between 1998 and 2002" includes the whole of both those years.) That is just deaths, not attempts.

Three suicide deaths on the eclipse night doesn't strike me as a cause to believe there is a link of any kind.

[ganzfeld]

The first line in the article simply isn't true.

Psychologists and police have established links between moods, criminal behavour and changes of the moon.

Later on in the article, we get this:

The full-moon effect is much debated among scientists, psychologists and astrologers.

Is the Telegraph generally a crap paper or is this just unusually crappy journalism?

[Spookshow Baby]

It's fairly tabloidy. So far more attention to fluff and he said she said