Re: Has the moon moved?

Dear AM,

For a simple explanation go to a store and buy a planisphere. You know,
one of those devices with stars on it and a disc that you spin to correspond
to the date. Pay attention to that curved line called the ecliptic, which is
the approximate path that the moon, the sun, and the planets follow as they
move in the sky through the night and over the months. Notice that the spot
where the ecliptic meets the eastern horizon varies depending on the month.
During some months the moon will rise well to the north of direct east, and
at other times it will set well to the north. Of course this difference is
caused by the 23 1/2 deg tilt of the plane of the earth to the plane of the
solar system, hence causing the seasons. Notice that at your latitude (well
north of 23 1/2 deg) the moon/sun etc never reach as high as the zenith
overhead, even though they often rise/set well to the north of straight
east/west. It's all simple geometry.

Congratulations to you for showing the curiosity to think of the
question. The next step would be to spend a night with your new planisphere
and find a few constellations. Join an astronomy club, you'll be amazed at
the depth of Nerd-to-Nerd chit chat (:>;).

Brian, you've raised an interesting question that I've often wondered
about. Any ideas as to why? Would that not support the notion that our moon
arose from a later cosmic collision?

Dave


.

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