Tugmistress
11-Jun-06, 13:58
Just copied and pasted this from another message board, thought it may interest some of you :D
At this time of the year, the full moon compared to the other full moons that occur throughout the year, is at its lowest in the sky from our latitudes due to the axial tilt of the Earth. It is almost opposite to what occurs for our viewing of the Sun, where it is at its highest for this time of year.
The opposite occurs at the winter solstice where the Sun is at its lowest and the full moon nearest the solstice is at its highest.
Another factor comes into play is that the lunar orbit around the Earth is tilted at about 5 degrees to the plane of the Sun and the Earth. Due to regressional drift, the date when the moon reaches it maximum angles above and below the Sun/Earth plane changes with time, about 19 degrees for every year. It takes about 18 and a half years for one cycle to be complete.
The highest full moons occur very close to the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and when the moon is at it maximum angle above the Sun/Earth plane.
The lowest full moons occur when the moon is at its maximum angle below the Sun/Earth plane nearest the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
At around 12.30am on the 12th of June the full moon will reach its highest postion and this will be the altitude from these locations.
Reykjavik: invisible
Lerwick: about a half degree
Edinburgh: 4 degrees 44 seconds
Belfast: 6 degrees 2 seconds
Manchester: 7 degrees 15 seconds
Birmingham: 8 degrees 15 seconds
London: 9 degrees 15 seconds
It will be one of the lowest full moons in decades.
At this time of the year, the full moon compared to the other full moons that occur throughout the year, is at its lowest in the sky from our latitudes due to the axial tilt of the Earth. It is almost opposite to what occurs for our viewing of the Sun, where it is at its highest for this time of year.
The opposite occurs at the winter solstice where the Sun is at its lowest and the full moon nearest the solstice is at its highest.
Another factor comes into play is that the lunar orbit around the Earth is tilted at about 5 degrees to the plane of the Sun and the Earth. Due to regressional drift, the date when the moon reaches it maximum angles above and below the Sun/Earth plane changes with time, about 19 degrees for every year. It takes about 18 and a half years for one cycle to be complete.
The highest full moons occur very close to the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and when the moon is at it maximum angle above the Sun/Earth plane.
The lowest full moons occur when the moon is at its maximum angle below the Sun/Earth plane nearest the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
At around 12.30am on the 12th of June the full moon will reach its highest postion and this will be the altitude from these locations.
Reykjavik: invisible
Lerwick: about a half degree
Edinburgh: 4 degrees 44 seconds
Belfast: 6 degrees 2 seconds
Manchester: 7 degrees 15 seconds
Birmingham: 8 degrees 15 seconds
London: 9 degrees 15 seconds
It will be one of the lowest full moons in decades.