Big bright Full Moons are especially fascinating for all of us. Amazingly, due to light and shadow effects, a Full Moon is actually twelve times brighter than a Half Moon (first/last quarter position).
Right now the Moon is a waxing gibbous and will achieve fullness on March 21st. A Full Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky, rising at sunset, crossing the local meridian at local midnight, and setting at sunrise.
It’s not mere imagination that some months a Full Moon appears larger than at other times. And their altitudes at transit can vary considerably over the course of a year and the 18.6-year nodal cycle.
I’ve created a graphic with data that demonstrates the variability of the next fifteen Full Moons. At the top are the changing declinations which affect the Moon’s altitude at meridian transit. Across the center are seen the relative distances between the Earth and Moon. At the bottom can be seen the changes in the Moon’s apparent angular size due to changes in distance. The graphic can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
Right now the Moon is a waxing gibbous and will achieve fullness on March 21st. A Full Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky, rising at sunset, crossing the local meridian at local midnight, and setting at sunrise.
It’s not mere imagination that some months a Full Moon appears larger than at other times. And their altitudes at transit can vary considerably over the course of a year and the 18.6-year nodal cycle.
I’ve created a graphic with data that demonstrates the variability of the next fifteen Full Moons. At the top are the changing declinations which affect the Moon’s altitude at meridian transit. Across the center are seen the relative distances between the Earth and Moon. At the bottom can be seen the changes in the Moon’s apparent angular size due to changes in distance. The graphic can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
For astronomical graphics, including
monthly wallpaper calendar, visit:
CurtRenz.com/astronomical
Curt Renz
