[AZ-Observing] Full moon Tuesday night

[Marjory Williams <margewms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tonight would be a fun night to be at Chimney Rock, the northernmost outlie=
r of the Chaco Canyon Pueblos, to see, from the pueblo built especially to =
view standstills, the full moon, for a few fleeting moments, peeking betwee=
n Chimney Rock and Companion Rock.

Unlike Stonehenge of England and Callanish of Scotland where stone monolith=
s are moved to mark a lunar standstill, Chimney Rock and Companion Rock are=
 geological monoliths with the adjoining viewing pueblo  made of millions o=
f rocks brought from a canyon floor, a thousand feet below. Additionally, t=
he walls of the pueblo are not parallel, allowing the south wall alignment =
with the Crab Nebula and the north with the summer solstice sun.

As I understand, it is thought the Chacoans moved north into this area in s=
earch of food in the early 1000s, and it turned out to be a busy century fo=
r the sky watchers: the 1054 supernova, Halley=E2=80=99s comet in 1066, tot=
al solar eclipses in 1076 and 1097, and the =E2=80=9Cmagical=E2=80=9D lunar=
 standstills between the two stone pillars.

Now humans are trying for a two new monoliths, the Aluna moon clocks in Eng=
land and Australia that will be 40 meters wide and 5 stories high.

Margie=20

-----Original Message-----
>From: Joe Orman <joe.orman@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Jan 1, 2007 7:40 PM
>To: AZ-Observing mailing list <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [AZ-Observing] Very high full moon Tuesday night
>
>The first event on my 2007 Sky Events Almanac is Tuesday night (night of J=
anuary 2-3).  Go out just after midnight (about 12:15 a.m.) and see the ful=
l moon about as high as it ever gets in Arizona -- only 6 degrees away from=
 zenith from the latitude of Phoenix.  This is because we are a few days pa=
st the winter solstice (when the full moon is highest), and a few months pa=
st a major lunar standstill (when the moon is at its highest declination in=
 an 18.6-year cycle).
>  =20
>  --Joe
>  =20
>  Sky Events Almanac:
>  http://joeorman.shutterace.com/Almanac2007.html
>  Photo Pages:
>  http://joeorman.shutterace.com/Gallery.html
>  More on lunar standstills:
>  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_standstill
>  =20
>  =20
>  =20
>  =20
>  =20
>
>--
>See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please=
=20
>send personal replies to the author, not the list.
>


Margie Williams margewms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx gcspnorthrim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx www.tuc=
sonastronomy.org/gcsp  Cell: 602-321-MARG   P.O. Box 176 Crown King, Arizon=
a: 928-632-8012 North Rimmers! Grand Canyon Star Party North Rim 2007 will =
be nights of June 9th -13th. Promised, but we will see...the dining room po=
rch darkened after 10:00. Maybe set up at a Forest Road or Cape Royal becau=
se of the very limited room? CAMPING: (There MAY BE some free group camping=
 sites in the REGULAR camp ground. We will know later on.) Xanterra 800-365=
-2267 Outside U.S. 301-722-1257 http://nps.gov Try now but they may make yo=
u wait until January or February for camping reservations. HOTEL OR MOTEL R=
OOMS: contact AS SOON AS POSSIBLE the GRAND CANYON LODGE or the Motel (by t=
he camp ground) Xanterra 888-297-2757 or 303-297-2757 www.grandcanyonnorthr=
im.com or KAIBAB LODGE outside the park border at 928-638-2389 or info@kaib=
ablodge.com. Bryce Canyon National Park Star Party June 13-16 GCSP South Ri=
m 9-16th. Carpe stellae!
--
See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please 
send personal replies to the author, not the list.

Other related posts:

[AZ-Observing] Full moon Tuesday night

[AZ-Observing] Re: Full moon Tuesday night