A press release from The Solar Almanac.
A press release from The Solar Almanac.
Date: June 8, 2005
by J. E. Brown
Has the moon seemed to be all over the sky lately? It's not your imagination. Orbital precession, a slight periodic wobble in the Moon's orbit, sometimes brings the Moon to its extreme declinations (Earth latitudes) of 28.7 degrees north and south. The full moons of June 2005 and June 2006 will be the lowest in 18 years for Northern Hemisphere observers. For viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics, these full moons will be the highest until 2024, with the full moon appearing directly overhead as far south as Easter Island and the northern ends of Lesotho, New South Wales, and South Australia. Observers above 60 north will see a very low full moon or none at all. To enjoy this rare phenomenon, go outside about local midnight (plus DST, if you have it) the night of June 21-22 (22-23 in the Far East), and notice how long (or short!) the shadows are. -------------------------------------------------
J. E. Brown lives and breathes astronomy in Los Alamos, New Mexico USA. (more)
18.6 years, extreme declinations of the Moon, northernmost declination of the Moon, southernmost declination of the Moon, lunar standstill
The Solar Almanac: This month's events in astronomy. Never miss a moon event.
Aurora Borealis over New Mexico
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