[neilep (OP)]

According to the news the moon is the brightest it's been for the last twenty two years....check it out...it's nice !!

Big hugs and shmishes for those who can tell me why !!

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[Ian33]

The Full moon is a fantastic sight in the late afternoon in the Eastern Sky as the sun is sinking in the SW. Hmm, my guess, it is pretty close to the Earth, perhaps this happens once every twenty years as the Earth and Moon orbit the Sun. And the moon orbits the Earth.

Ian

Cafe Del Mar. Vol Siente

[neilep (OP)]

....there's also a meteor shower happening too but the bright moon is making it tricky to see them.

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[ukmicky]

....there's also a meteor shower happening too but the bright moon is making it tricky to see them.


That would be the case if i could somehow raise my head above the clouds[]


Michael                                      

[Soul Surfer]

The moon is not the biggest and brightest for a long time (that happened last year some time when the moon was relatively low in the sky) but it is the highest in the sky.  The moon's orbit is inclined at an angle of about 5 degrees to the earth's orbit and do can move about five degrees above and below the plane of the ecliptic which is the track of the sun across the sky. however because of several smaller interactions the positions where the moon's track in the sky crosses the sun's track in the sky move around the sky svery ninteen years which means that once in 19 hears there's a time when the moon is highest in the sky in winter and lowest in the summer. Now is this time. In about ten years the opoposite will be true the moon will be lower in the sky in winter and higher (relative to the track of the winter sun) in summer.  Remember also that the track of the full moon is precisely the opposite to that of the sun.  Highest in midwinter and lowest in summer.

Learn, create, test and tell
evolution rules in all things
God says so!

[Ian33]

Thanks, good explantion. As an aside, I believe the island of Formentera, is the place where you can see the biggest moon at the right time, due to its geographical postion ?

Ian

Cafe Del Mar. Vol Siente

[neilep (OP)]

Thanks Ian (soul surfer). I agree with Ian (Ian33) and appreciate your explanation. Even if it's not the brightest at the moment I still remain in wonder when I look at it.

Thanks again.

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[DoctorBeaver]

quote:The moon is not the biggest and brightest for a long time (that happened last year some time when the moon was relatively low in the sky) but it is the highest in the sky.

The following is from AOL Learning Dec 16, 2005

The Moon has appeared at its brightest and biggest for two decades, thanks to a rare combination of astronomical circumstances.

It was at its most impressive at midnight, when people living in the South West and along the south coast, as well as those in the far north of Scotland, had the best view of it in all its glory.

Dr Jim O'Donnell, of the Royal Observatory, said: "The Moon is closer to the Earth than usual because of where it is in its orbit, so it appears larger.

"It is also higher in the sky than usual, and the combination of those two very rare circumstances gives us a rather spectacular full moon."

He said it was at its biggest and brightest for around 20 years.

Philip Brown, of the PA WeatherCentre, said southern England had the clearest skies overnight, with cloud obscuring views in the Midlands, North and Scotland.

[Soul Surfer]

The moon was really spectacular last night while we were marching round the Eden project with lanterns as part of the time of gifts celebrations.

Learn, create, test and tell
evolution rules in all things
God says so!

[another_someone]

quote:Originally posted by Soul Surfer

however because of several smaller interactions the positions where the moon's track in the sky crosses the sun's track in the sky move around the sky svery ninteen years which means that once in 19 hears there's a time when the moon is highest in the sky in winter and lowest in the summer.

Does this correspond with any 19 year weather cycle, and how would it interact (in weather terms) with the 22 year sunspot cycle?

[Soul Surfer]

Not sure if the precession of the nodes of the moon's orbit can be linked to weather patterns but it's generally agreed that the approximately 22 year sunspot cycle can.  The long period (maunder minimum) without sunspots  was also associated with very cold weather in europe.

Learn, create, test and tell
evolution rules in all things
God says so!

[another_someone]

quote:Originally posted by Soul Surfer

Not sure if the precession of the nodes of the moon's orbit can be linked to weather patterns but it's generally agreed that the approximately 22 year sunspot cycle can.  The long period (maunder minimum) without sunspots  was also associated with very cold weather in europe.

My thought was that the moon effects the tides, and so should not any variation of the moons orbit effects the tides, and so possibly also effect ocean currents? And maybe even water vapour in the atmosphere, especially in coastal regions ?