peeky

When I go to Europe my BF wants to be able to look at the full moon when I have a full moon over there too. Is it the same in all hemispheres? It seems there are different stars from different standpoints - how about the moon? This is an honest question that he is worried about.

ira

Hi peeky,

Everyone sees the same moon, but not at the same time. (Something about one part of the world being dark when another part is in daylight.)

passantd

As long as Europe is on the planet earth then the answer is yes. However, they cannot have a full moon at the same time as we have a full moon in the United States and vice versa.

The earth's natural satellite that shines by the sun's reflected light, revolves about the earth from west to east in about 29 1/2 days with reference to the sun or about 27 1/3 days with reference to the stars, and has a diameter of 2160 miles (3475 kilometers), a mean distance from the earth of about 238,900 miles (384,400 kilometers), and a mass about one eightieth that of the earth -- usually used with the b : one complete moon cycle consisting of four phases

peeky

I see the moon in the daytime sometimes. So lets see the moon is in different phases as we see from different parts of the world.

So we can't all say there is a beautiful full moon up there if the Chinese are seeing a new moon and they will just have to wait. And if I am in Paris and I have a new moon BF would be seeing his full moon? So much for romance.

ira

Peeky,

The moon is almost exactly the same during any 24 hr period all over the world.

You can also send each other moon pictures on your cell phones.

peeky

Thank you ira and passantd - it made me wonder when we see different stars. So that is exactly what I will do. Ira are you a romantic with Mrs. Ira? I think you are - bye now - off to play.

logos999

No exactly, Ira ;-) It's upside down in Australia. Wonder how those Aussies did manage to turn around the moon. It's a miracle...

ira

Hi l,

I had forgotten about that.

cigalechanta

Full moon and empty arms, the moon is there for us to share but where are you?

Robespierre

Whether or not you'll be able to see the moon at the same time depends on what time zones you're in. In general, if both places have daylight at the same time, you will be able to see the full moon simultaneously.

Central European Time, for example, is nine hours ahead of Pacific, so when it's 8PM in L.A., it's 5AM in Paris. This means that the moon will be visible in both places at the same time if it's dark in both (which in summer it might not be).

(<i>p.s.</i> There are no &quot;different stars from different standpoints&quot; as far as naked-eye observation is concerned.)

rex

I am surprised that I can find no simple explanation of the relationship between latitude and moonrise/moonset. This is somewhat separate from the question asked by the OP (and by the way, the OP posted no information on what is HER longitude or latitude) - - which has to do with <i>phases</i> of the moon, and (presumably) different longitudes (at roughly the same latitude, for many locations pairs, in the US and Europe).

I must confess, I don't think I have a good grasp of what you would see if you were to lie on the ground on the North Pole, in the middle of its winter night (i.e., December 5 to January 5), and look up for a solid month. Would you see no moonrise(s) ever? (I think so) - - Or one every 24 hours? (I think not).

I believe that the moon would appear to travel in a circle around the sky with a 24 hour cycle, rising and falling towards/away from the horizon, and at the same time, its &quot;profile&quot; (phase) would gradually grow from full to gibbous to half to crescent to absent (&quot;new moon&quot and back again, over the span of your month lying there watching it.

But I am quite unclear how many degree above the horizon it would appear, at maximum and at minimum. And I am perlexed, would someone doing thing at the South Pole (but six months later) see the same thing, except with the opposite rotation (and the moon would wane and grow from left to right, as a mirror image of what we see in the northern hemisphere).

And what about at the equinox(es)? Do both polar observers see the same thing? I don't think I even understand sunrise and sunset at the poles in spring and fall.

And I thought I was pretty scientifically literate!

Intrinsically, my questions are really the same as peeky's - - just taken to latitude extremes.

Best wishes,

Rex

Robespierre

Phases of the moon have <i>absolutely nothing</i> to do with a terrestrial observer's location, and <i>everything</i> to do with the relative positon of the sun, moon, and earth.

An observer at the North Pole in the depth of winter (which is centered on the midwinter solstice, December 21) would probably be unable to see the moon at all, because the sun would be above the horizon for the entire period.

As an exercise, think about the sun's apparent motion on the planet Uranus, whose axis lies almost exactly in the plane of the Ecliptic.

Robespierre

Oh, wait.

From the North Pole, the <u>sun</u> would be below the horizon for the whole month, but the <u>moon</u> would be invisible while on the <i>sun</i> side of the earth but would stay &quot;up&quot; for longer and longer periods as it got around towards its full phase. At some point, it would be above the horizon throughout the earth's full rotation.

rex

&lt;&lt; Phases of the moon have absolutely nothing to do with a terrestrial observer's location, and everything to do with the relative positon of the sun, moon, and earth. &gt;&gt;

I agree - - and I thought I made it clear that my question(s)/speculation(s) only pertained to moonRISE/SET.

I think the moon IS visible at winter solstice from the North Pole. The sun is BELOW the horizon for the entire month (or maybe just glimmers above, briefly, at the fortnight before and after the solstice).

But I am not at all sure about what path the moon would appear to follow.

logos999

Imagine the picture. A small ball is cycling around a big ball in a short distance, you're standing on top of the big ball and would have to look down to see the small ball. But you can't see it, it's to far down. You'd have to drill a hole in the ground.
So no moon on the pole.

Robespierre

&quot;I think the moon IS visible at winter solstice from the North Pole.&quot;

It depends. If the moon is near its <i>new</i> phase on the 21st, it will be on the same side of the earth as the sun, and invisible without digging logos999's hole. If it's about <i>full</i>, it will be on the side away from the sun (in which direction the axis is tilted, making it visible).

logos, it's a question of degree (23½ of them, to be precise). By the way, I wouldn't call the moon's orbit a &quot;short distance&quot; - it's 30 earth-diameters away.

rex

No moon on either pole? I don't believe you. At what latitude is the moon visible, in your idea?

logos999

&gt;axis is tilted
That's the reason for the moon being visible at the pole ;-)

Scarlett

No moon on the pole? But how does Santa manage?

My son , in Japan, and I, in the US..sometimes talk on the phone ( 14 hr time difference) about the full moon that one of us saw or is seeing or will see..

Mimi,
By the light of the silvery Moon, I want to croon~~~~

Robespierre

On December 30th, the full moon will be visible in New York and Tokyo simultaneously.

Sunrise in NYC is 7:19AM (9:19PM in TYO). Sunset in Tokyo is 4:36PM (2:36AM in New York). So from 2:36 to 7:19 or so New York time, it will be dark or twilight in both places.