FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: Lunar question....

[Paul Dickson <dickson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 25 Sep 2002 06:59:22 -0700, Thad Robosson wrote:

> Hey All, Could someone give a simplistic (if possible) explanation
> as to why this month's full moon seems to come up only 30 minutes
> (+/-) later on successive evenings?  (As opposed to roughly an hour
> later.)  I know that there are a few mechanisms that are
> responsible, but I'm not sure if I grasp the entire concept
> properly.

This time of year, the farther north you are the shallower the angle of
the moon's orbit is in the evening sky.  Being shallow, the moon moves the
same distance each night but some of that distance is now spent moving
northward.

The effect has long been known, you can read (or listen) to the StarDate
program that's related to the effect:

    http://www.stardate.org/radio/program.php?f=detail&id=20020920

        -Paul

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