Questions tagged [the-moon]
Questions regarding Earth's only natural satellite.
461
questions
21
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2answers
4k views
Can the Moon eclipse Venus?
The title basically says it all. As seen from the Earth, is it possible for the Moon to eclipse Venus (or any other planet) or are the orbits inclined such that this never happens?
If such an eclipse ...
2
votes
1answer
107 views
How would a flat mirror on the Moon reflect sunlight
I was solving a task that said (paraphrasing):
There is a flat mirror on the Moon, whose reflection coefficient is 100%, and observers on the Earth observe it as a star whose apparent magnitude is $...
4
votes
1answer
94 views
How big does the moon have to be to have the Earth tidally locked to it
I would like a earth-moon system like Pluto-Charon (but with earth instead of Pluto) where both will be tidally locked to each other within something like a billion years. As the moon would probably ...
5
votes
1answer
164 views
Lunar orbit distance
Can anyone calculate the distance the moon travels in a single year? I can calculate it as it is close to 2.4 million km, but I need adjustments as the earth is moving and so is the Sun. So, I need ...
5
votes
1answer
90 views
“Lunar tropics”
The tropics is region of the Earth in which the Sun could be directly overhead. What is the corresponding region for the Moon? Is it the same or slightly larger?
I live in the UK and hence have ...
2
votes
1answer
75 views
What bright body is next to the Moon in these photos of the ISS transiting the lunar disk?
The question What are the chances that the ISS transits the moon as seen from your house (or headquarters)? links to the SpaceX Instagram-posted photos of the ISS transiting the Moon's disk as seen ...
6
votes
1answer
134 views
Computing orbit positions of Jovian Satellites / Moons using JPL data
I've been trying to build a model of the solar system in a game. Thus far I've succeeded in placing each of the planets in position using Keplerian elements and formulae from https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/...
2
votes
1answer
113 views
Can a solar eclipse be directly overhead?
I have trouble picturing eclipses and whether the moon can be directly overhead.
1
vote
1answer
34 views
Recognising lunar month only by looking the sky
Suppose somebody went on an island and don't have sense about time, dates, months. The only thing he has is seeing the sky. Is it possible to recognise which lunar month it is by just looking the sky? ...
4
votes
1answer
96 views
Why was the July 27th 2018 lunar eclipse not visible in North America?
I was just wondering if it had anything to do with the fact that last year we were blessed with the opportunity to see the total solar eclipse in our neck of the woods. So this is the universe's way ...
4
votes
1answer
116 views
Different full moon face on different places on Earth same time
I have theoretical question.
Let's assume that it is full moon and two different humans are looking at it at the same time. One human is for example in London and one in Beijing. It doesn't really ...
2
votes
0answers
640 views
What is the highest resolution image of the moon taken from Earth's surface?
According to this article:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/26/star-spotted-speeding-near-milky-way-black-hole-for-first-time
the Very Large Telescope is "powerful enough to see a tennis ...
2
votes
1answer
396 views
Moonless nights?
My husband has told me that there are nights when there is no moon in the sky, because it has risen in the morning and set before dusk. I don’t believe him. Does this happen?
1
vote
2answers
58 views
Determine full Moon position into sky from Sun position
Soon a lunar eclipse will take place soon.
I'm not sure if I will be able to see the moon during the eclipse (from 9:30 PM to 11:00 PM), because, I have some building, mountains... in my field of ...
3
votes
0answers
127 views
Are Saros series separated by “40” in numbering related in any way?
Can anyone help with this question? My question arose from an eclipse related observation that I made while looking into lunar Saros series 129. It is the Saros series number for the lunar eclipse ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Do celestial bodies actually appear larger along the horizon? [duplicate]
Whether it be the moon (especially when full) or tonight, as Mars is closer than it has been in decades, it appears that these bodies are larger when close to the horizon than overhead.
Is this an ...
3
votes
1answer
59 views
How come moon's difference in thickness between sides does not create an unbalance on its mass?
I've just found out that moon's dark side is 30 miles thicker then the closer side to the Earth. So I'm wondering about moon's mass. How come it's still balanced? Supposing the far side is indeed ...
2
votes
1answer
119 views
Changes of the velocity of the Moon due to impacts from other objects?
Has the moon’s velocity changed since ‘shortly’ after it’s formation due to impacts?
Wouldn't it be likely that a significant collision would have occurred over such a long period of time?
It ...
50
votes
5answers
10k views
Why is moon light not the same color as sunlight?
The light from the moon is light being reflected from the sun. The sun, in space, is white. But on Earth, when the light is filtered through an atmosphere, the light appears yellow. So then, why is ...
8
votes
2answers
330 views
Why moon sighted only in Kerala but not in rest of India?
I know for most of you the question may look silly, but Kerala is a state in India where the moon (Ramadan moon) will be sighted but not in rest of India.
I was reading the news article where I got a ...
3
votes
4answers
584 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
116 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
199 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
165 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
43 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
227 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
233 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
89 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
194 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
173 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
143 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
182 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
182 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
478 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
134 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
317 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
5k 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
4k 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
262 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
47 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
352 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
55 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 (...
4
votes
3answers
516 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
97 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
35 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
291 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 ...
