Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: abrooks051 on 04/11/2019 13:05:44
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Good morning. I am posting this question to this site and this group of people because you are some of the smartest people, like me, with whom I have communicated. :-)
Now, I know the Earth revolves around the Sun and because it does so and because of its "tilt", the position of the Sun in the sky changes throughout the year. I believe that the Moon revolves around the Earth but its journey around the planet is generally stable and on the same "plane" regardless of the time of year. How, then, does its position in the sky change throughout the year? Example: In Summer the Moon rises over my swimming pool but by Winter the Moon is now rising over my neighbor's house, approximately a 30+ degree change in the sky. If the Moon is, say, revolving around the equator and does not change that revolution, how is it changing position in the sky?
I realize there may be an easy answer to this but my old brain cells just can't picture it.
Thanks, in advance, for your explanations and for not making me feel like too much of a fool with your answers. :-)
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because of [Earth's] "tilt", the position of the Sun in the sky changes throughout the year. I believe that the Moon revolves around the Earth but its journey around the planet is generally stable and on the same "plane" regardless of the time of year.
The Earth's orbit is similarly on the same plane regardless of time of year.
The moon's orbit is tilted about 5° from the Earth's orbital plane (and slowly precesses), while Earth's spin axis is tilted some 23° from its orbital plane. It is that significant tilt of the spin axis that makes the sun and moon appear in different parts of the sky from month to month.
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Halc: Thanks for the quick response. I did just find a video of my question, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=28&v=MEcqWuYqrSo I noticed that the Moon does not revolve around a set plane, as I thought it did. This video and your explanation has helped a good deal, Now I can sleep at night with one less question banging on my withering old brain. :-)