Questions tagged [the-moon]
Questions regarding Earth's only natural satellite.
2
votes
4answers
430 views
Is it practical to build a giant telescope in Moon? (Considering the fact that the atmosphere of moon is very rare)
China's FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope) is the largest radio telescope in the world.(This is huge!!!)
As we all know Space Telescopes are better than Earth-Based ...
5
votes
1answer
97 views
Solid-body tides on the Moon
There are various good models for solid-body tides on the Earth. Are there any recommendations for tides on the Moon?
7
votes
4answers
4k views
Hypothetically, would we be able to see the moon from Saturn's North Pole?
Hypothetically speaking, if Saturn had a solid surface that we could stand on, would we be able to see our Moon from the North Pole of Saturn? Would the rings of Saturn obstruct the view?
3
votes
1answer
143 views
Is there a significant temperature difference on the moon from apogee to perigee or vice-versa?
Do those few thousand kilometers of difference going around the earth significantly affect the amount of thermal energy the moon receives from the sun to warm up its surface?
Also, are there more ...
3
votes
3answers
116 views
Why is the color of the moon so similar to the clouds?
Why the moon looks like the cloud-structure on the blue sky among the clouds?
2
votes
1answer
40 views
Ancient greeks know about leap day? [closed]
I'm reading about Antikythera machine and its functions.
So I read about solar cycle and moon cycle and how they used 19 solar years to compare with 235 lunar cycles.
So this is my question: They ...
6
votes
1answer
211 views
How much do starlight and artificial light illuminate the Moon?
The Moon receives most of its light from the Sun, either directly through sunlight or indirectly through Earthshine. However, there are many other dimmer sources of illumination.
Starlight. This is ...
4
votes
3answers
165 views
Is the moon's revolution speed increasing or decreasing
I've come across multiple answers to this question. So, the moon is moving away from the Earth a couple of centimeters per year and the Earth's rotation is slowing down. Here it says the moon's ...
4
votes
0answers
81 views
How fast was the Earth spinning directly after the Moon formed?
I understand the Moon was perhaps five Earth radii away when it first formed (assuming it was formed by a giant impact of a Mars-sized body), and Earth has since transferred its rotational energy into ...
4
votes
1answer
161 views
Implementation of formulae for Meeus for the Moon
With Astronomical Algorithms by J. Meeus (1998)
I have obtained the relevant illuminated fraction of the disk and position angle.
But they're numbers (all Greek to me!) I know, Meeus explains that ...
6
votes
1answer
151 views
Place on Moon that always lit?
Is there a place on Moon (sure it's near north or south pole) that is always lit by sun? It's to install solar panels if I will choose to make rancho there :)
What diameter of Moon Polar circle?
How ...
2
votes
1answer
103 views
Axial wobble or binary star system
Is our solar system affected by a body unobserved as of yet that causes our solar system to curve through space in an orbit? Is this idea outlandish or us there any evidence to support it? Consider ...
3
votes
1answer
144 views
How to calculate the position to be to see ISS passing in front of the moon or the sun?
I would like to know how to calculate the time/date of the ISS passing in front of the moon (between the observer and the moon) or the sun, or to calculate the position in which the observer have to ...
6
votes
2answers
160 views
How can Earth-Sun Lagrange points L1 & L2 even be semi stable considering the moon?
I know that the Earth-Sun Lagrange L1, L2, and L3 points are not considered stable over longer periods, especially when compared to L4 and L5... But, with the moon orbiting the Earth in the general ...
1
vote
1answer
345 views
Moon inclination
The Moon is inclined to the ecliptic 5.15 degrees, and the equator of the Earth tilts 23.44 degrees. Since the Moon's ascending node to the ecliptic rotates, the Moon's inclination to the Earth's ...
11
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the distance of the Earth's orbit around the Moon?
I realize the Earth and the Moon both orbit around their shared center of mass, and that in the case of the Earth and Moon this center is "inside" the Earth. However, I'm looking for an approach to ...
6
votes
2answers
121 views
Are red moons possible without eclipses or smoke from fires?
This morning I was on the bus and as I looked out of the window I saw that the moon was larger than usual and red. I live in eastern Norway and it was about -20ºF / 30ºC outside. There's no forest ...
4
votes
1answer
263 views
Why are tides high only on a full moon day?
As far as I've known, sea tides are higher on a Full moon day. And that is due to the "gravitational pull" of the moon.
But we know that moon is visible because of reflection of sun's rays. So, even ...
2
votes
1answer
63 views
When will the next 'Super Blue Blood Moon' occur?
I missed the sight yesterday (1 feb 2018) because I live right in the region where the sight was not visible. So when will the next Super Blue Blood Moon occur?
10
votes
1answer
3k views
How does the Moon look like from different latitudes of the Earth?
I have heard, that on the northern hemisphere, you can estimate a direction of south if you imagine a line going through the tips of the border between illuminated and shadowed part of the Moon, and ...
13
votes
3answers
3k views
Why is the Earth-Moon distance not the same at each perigee/apogee?
I wonder why the Earth-Moon distance is not the same at each perigee/apogee. Isn't the Moon's orbit a fixed ellipse with Earth at one of the foci? If it is so, shouldn't the distance at perigee/apogee ...
4
votes
1answer
247 views
How large could a second moon of Earth be?
Question in the title. Let's say that I have a lot of garbage- mined-out asteroids, spent nuclear fuel, satellite debris, and just general trash. Also safe ways to get these into Earth orbit. Instead ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
What does Ptolemy mean by “a line drawn from the centre of the earth through the centre of the moon to a point on the ecliptic”
This is from a translation of Ptolemy's Almagest
Hence it necessarily follows that the straight line draw n from the centre of the earth (which is the centre of the ecliptic) through the centre of ...
2
votes
1answer
315 views
Will time that moon crosses meridian always be periodic?
If I observe the moon pass my celestial meridian at a specific north polar clock 'time' will I observe every subsequent passage at ( 'current time' + 13.2* X 'days passed' mod 360* ) ? Does the moon ...
2
votes
0answers
53 views
calculating paralax angle from observations
Say I have 2 records, in horizontal coordinates of the azimuth ($A_z,A_z^{'}$) and altitude ($\alpha,\alpha^{'}$) of the moon at the same time in two different places that are $\theta$ degrees apart (...
5
votes
3answers
424 views
Observed lunar distance data?
Where can I find free/open data for the observed (not calculated/theoretical) distance between the Earth & Moon?
I want to see the observed distance of the Moon, hour by hour.
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Finding a location geographically of a celestial object, in this case the moon at one of its quarters [duplicate]
Years ago it was mentioned to me the New Yorker magazine had a Young Moon “contest”; who could find the youngest moon; the thinnest crescent after a new moon. I knew enough to know that I would have ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
Does a set moon sky equal a new moon sky?
I am planning some astrophotography. And comparing two times.
On one night I plan a midnight shoot when a waning crescent moon rises at 1am. This is 1 week ahead of the new moon.
The other night ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Why does the moon not leave its orbit around the earth due to the gravitational force from the sun? [duplicate]
See additional information below added after the answer to the question.
When the moon is between the earth and the sun, the gravitational force on the moon from the sun is greater than the ...
4
votes
3answers
282 views
Moon looks too small in 3D model
I'm not sure if this is more a question for a 3D graphics forum, but I'm trying here first in case the answer has more to do with astronomy than 3D.
I am creating a model of the Earth and Moon in a ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
What should I improve my telescope kit to see more details of Moon?
What should I improve my telescope kit to see more details of Moon?
I have the gskyer telescope of 60mm aperture and 350mm focal length.
my eyepieces are 10mm,25mm.
and I have x3 Barlow.
my best ...
1
vote
0answers
68 views
Why do I need to know about moonphase?
I just watch an interesting video about Moonphase watch. mmm... but why do I need to know about moonphase anyway, I just can't think of any practice for the moonphase indicator on the watch?
0
votes
2answers
62 views
Is there any data source for the rotational axes of bodies in the solar system?
I have found several right ascension and declination coordinates for the poles of bodies in the solar system, but there seems to be no comprehensive source that is easily uncovered with Google etc. ...
3
votes
1answer
285 views
When did astronomy first discover that the stars are bigger than the moon?
We take it for granted these days that the stars are unimaginably bigger than the planets and the moons. But when you look at the sky, it does not appear this way.
The moon looks bigger and brighter ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Why do we only see the clouds directly infront of the moon glow from moon light?
Surly the moon is not projecting a direct beam of light which only lights up the small area of clouds around the moon. What phenomenon is happening that only allows us to see that center focus glow ...
1
vote
3answers
492 views
Trying to categorize moon phase using fraction illuminated
I have a dataset with events that are occurring over a period of 5 years. I am trying to determine whether these events are related to moon phase. I downloaded the "fraction of moon illuminated" for ...
5
votes
1answer
598 views
Is this photocomposition of Andromeda's galaxy and the Moon accurate?
I recently saw the below image circulating around twitter/facebook/reddit. It is titled "Andromeda's actual size if it was brighter"
One of the comments provides a link to another comparison provided ...
-3
votes
1answer
143 views
spin–orbit resonance, between moon and the earth
if this happens in the future what will be the consecuences of this?.
Consecuences for the life or the climate conditions.
-4
votes
2answers
146 views
Moon trip in 1969 and temperature [closed]
The USA claims to have traveled to the moon in 1969.
BUT...
The temperature on the moon at day is 100 C and at night is -173 cold. How did the astronauts not die??
How did they survive?
3
votes
2answers
159 views
A [very basic?] question about light scattering and colors
Since the night two days ago, the moon here in Israel appears to be orange as it rises, and then gradually becomes white as it continues travelling across the sky.
This phenomenon comes in a great ...
2
votes
2answers
246 views
Why the moon is blinding me right now?
I'm on the most northern part of Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) it is 11.20pm right now and the moon is here as bright as I never saw it before I was just outside and it is as bright as if it was dim ...
0
votes
1answer
160 views
Is there a term for a horizontal moon crescent
I seen the other day the moon lit directly below or towards my horizon perfectly.
My question, is there a term for when a moon's crescent is aligned with the viewer's horizon?
5
votes
0answers
167 views
When the Moon formed and early on, did it orbit over the Earth's equator?
Or was it always at about 5.14 degrees inclination or has the inclination changed over time?
See diagram.
James K's answer to this question got me thinking about this, and I don't mean to call him ...
1
vote
1answer
181 views
View of moon from South Pole?
What would the moon look like to someone at the South Pole? To a first approximation, it's bisected by the horizon. But how far above and below does it get?
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Can the moon turn red even without an eclipse?
My friend posted a picture of the moon as if there was an eclipse because it was so red but there wasn't a scheduled eclipse at the time (it was last night, from the Philippines).
I'm a little ...
4
votes
2answers
180 views
Mountains on the moon during solar eclipse?
I ask myself the reason of why the sun in not uniform on the edge of the moon at this moment of the eclipse (cf. picture) is not unifom is because of the mountains of the moon ? Or can it due to ...
1
vote
0answers
64 views
Why weren't Lunar meteorites identified until 1982?
According to Wikipedia the first meteorite of Lunar origin wasn't identified until 1982. Today 306 Lunar meteorites have been identified.
Why weren't they identified as Lunar already a decade earlier,...
0
votes
1answer
762 views
What would be the required conditions for a lunar eclipse to occur only once on a precise annual basis?
As I am aware, lunar eclipses can take place several times a year on Earth. However, I am curious whether it would be possible for this event to only occur once annually on a specific date (and ...
7
votes
1answer
273 views
Why did the moon have a distinct reddish edge tonight?
In Monterey, California, with a "half-moon" high in the sky at about 9 pm (2017-08-30), the moon had a distinct red outline on the outer edge of the NE quadrant; for awhile I saw it also on the outer ...
1
vote
2answers
297 views
Estimating the Rate at which Moon is Moving Away from the Earth
Here it has been discussed why the moon is moving away from earth at a rate of 1.5 inches per year. Is there any way we can estimate the value (e.g, 1.5 inches per year) mathematically?
