[NatureNS] Moon rise/set differential

From: Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@dal.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:35:11 -0400
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I'll take a quick stab at it!

There are two other things you need to consider. The first is that the =20=

Moon's orbit is elliptical, which means that it moves faster when =20
closest to Earth, and slowest when furthes away. To make it simple, if =20=

you assume that the month had exactly 30 days, then you would expect =20
the Moon to move 360=B0/30 days =3D 12=B0/day and that the Earth would =
have =20
to rotate an extra 12=B0 every day so that you would see the Moon each =20=

night 48 minutes later. (The Earth rotates through 360=B0 in 24 hours, =20=

or 15=B0/hour.

The reason this is not the case is because as the moon gets closer to =20=

the Earth it would move more than 12=B0 in this example (rising later =20=

than expeted, and at the farthest point in its orbit it would move =20
less than 12=B0 and appear to rise earlier than expected.

The other complication is that you drew your diagram on a piece of =20
paper which is flat. The Moon's orbit as tipped by 5=B0 with respect to =20=

the Earth's equator. This means that while the Moon is always moving =20
"eastward" against the background sky, when it is at the maximum of 5=B0 =
=20
above or below the equator, all of its orbital motion is eastward, At =20=

other times, some of this motion will be "north" or "south" and this =20
component in at a maximum when it is above the Earth's equator.

What may help to visualise this is to draw a short, tall sine wave and =20=

then move your pencil along it at a constant speed. You will see that =20=

the "horizontal" component of the speed will vary depending on how =20
much "up" and "down" it has to do.

Adding these two effects together gives the variation you are seeing, =20=

as they are not in step with each other.

Hope that helps.

Pat

PS: There two effects also produce the "east-west" variation of the =20
Sun in the analemma (or Equation of time) since the Earth's orbit =20
about the Sun is elliptical, and the Sun's path is tipped by 23.5=B0 =20
with respect to the Earth's equator. This is one reason why most =20
styles of sundials need to be corrected, and is also why the earliest =20=

sunset and the latest sunrise occur, respectively, before and after =20
the winter solstice.




On Jan 21, 2012, at 5:23 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote:

> Dear All,                    Jan 21, 2012
>   Some years ago, while reading an Old Farmer's Almanac, I noticed =20
> that the time between successive rises of the moon varied and, in =20
> addition, was variously greater than or less than the time between =20
> successive moon sets.
>
>   To try and rationalize this I made a sketch of sun, earth and moon =20=

> as viewed from 'above'. When viewed from above all motions in this =20
> sketch (earth's orbit, earth's rotation and moon's orbit) are =20
> counterclockwise. That didn't help.
>
>   So I tried tabulating the daily differences etc. using the period =20=

> Jan 15, 2010 to Feb 12, 2010. And for example on Jan 18 the moon =20
> rises 19 minutes later than it did on Jan 17 but sets 63 minutes =20
> later. On Feb 2 the comparable differences are 76 and 24 minutes. =20
> But working with these numbers still left me baffled.
>
>   Can someone shed light on this ?
>
> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


=3D=20
=3D=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Patrick Kelly
Director of Computer Facilities
=3D=20
=3D=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Faculty of Architecture and Planning
Dalhousie University
=3D=20
=3D=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
MAIL                                   COURIER
PO Box 15000                           5410 Spring Garden Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2           Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada                                 Canada
=3D=20
=3D=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Phone:(902) 494-3294    FAX:(902) 423-6672   E-mail:patrick.kelly@dal.ca
=3D=20
=3D=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I'll take a quick stab at =
it!<div><br></div><div>There are two other things you need to consider. =
The first is that the Moon's orbit is elliptical, which means that it =
moves faster when closest to Earth, and slowest when furthes away. To =
make it simple, if you assume that the month had exactly 30 days, then =
you would expect the Moon to move 360=B0/30 days =3D 12=B0/day and that =
the Earth would have to rotate an extra 12=B0 every day so that you =
would see the Moon each night 48 minutes later. (The Earth rotates =
through 360=B0 in 24 hours, or 15=B0/hour.</div><div><br></div><div>The =
reason this is not the case is because as the moon gets closer to the =
Earth it would move more than 12=B0 in this example (rising later than =
expeted, and at the farthest point in its orbit it would move less than =
12=B0 and appear to rise earlier than =
expected.</div><div><br></div><div>The other complication is that you =
drew your diagram on a piece of paper which is flat. The Moon's orbit as =
tipped by 5=B0 with respect to the Earth's equator. This means that =
while the Moon is always moving "eastward" against the background sky, =
when it is at the maximum of 5=B0 above or below the equator, all of its =
orbital motion is eastward, At other times, some of this motion will be =
"north" or "south" and this component in at a maximum when it is above =
the Earth's equator. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>What may help to =
visualise this is to draw a short, tall sine wave and then move your =
pencil along it at a constant speed. You will see that the "horizontal" =
component of the speed will vary depending on how much "up" and "down" =
it has to do.</div><div><br></div><div>Adding these two effects together =
gives the variation you are seeing, as they are not in step with each =
other.</div><div><br></div><div>Hope that =
helps.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Pat</div><div><br></div><div>PS: =
There two effects also produce the "east-west" variation of the Sun in =
the analemma (or Equation of time) since the Earth's orbit about the Sun =
is elliptical, and the Sun's path is tipped by 23.5=B0 with respect to =
the Earth's equator. This is one reason why most styles of sundials need =
to be corrected, and is also why the earliest sunset and the latest =
sunrise occur, respectively, before and after the winter =
solstice.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div>=
<div>On Jan 21, 2012, at 5:23 PM, David &amp; Alison Webster =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div>Dear All, =
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jan 21, 2012<br> =
&nbsp;&nbsp;Some years ago, while reading an Old Farmer's Almanac, I =
noticed that the time between successive rises of the moon varied and, =
in addition, was variously greater than or less than the time between =
successive moon sets.<br><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;To try and rationalize this I =
made a sketch of sun, earth and moon as viewed from 'above'. When viewed =
from above all motions in this sketch (earth's orbit, earth's rotation =
and moon's orbit) are counterclockwise. That didn't help.<br><br> =
&nbsp;&nbsp;So I tried tabulating the daily differences etc. using the =
period Jan 15, 2010 to Feb 12, 2010. And for example on Jan 18 the moon =
rises 19 minutes later than it did on Jan 17 but sets 63 minutes later. =
On Feb 2 the comparable differences are 76 and 24 minutes. But working =
with these numbers still left me baffled.<br><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;Can =
someone shed light on this ?<br><br>Yt, Dave Webster, =
Kentville<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></div></blockquote></div><br>=
<div apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
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normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; =
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auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div =
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-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; =
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auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><p =
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margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Courier" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Courier; "><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline">=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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