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To: TSgt

So I’m guessing yes?


9 posted on 10/21/2010 1:14:25 PM PDT by rawhide
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To: rawhide

http://museumvictoria.com.au/planetarium/discoverycentre/faqs/moon-phases-on-other-side-of-earth/
Moon phases on other side of Earth
02 April, 2009

Source: Museum Victoria

Question: If it is a full moon in Australia, is it also a full moon on the other side of the world?

Answer: The phases of the Moon are the same all around the world. Any two places that can see the Moon at the same time will see the same phase.

Each Moon phase happens at a precise point in the Moon’s orbit around the Earth, and hence at a precise moment in time. This is the same moment all over the world, but will be a different local time for every time zone in the world.

For example, the first full moon of the 21st century occurred at 8:24pm on 9 January 2001, Universal Time. In Melbourne this moment was 7:24am on 10 January 2001, Australian Eastern Summer Time.

Of course opposite sides of the world will not be able to see the Moon at the same time. Only one half of the world will be able to see the moon when it is precisely at one of the phases. For the example I gave above, that Full Moon was visible from the United Kingdom, but not from Australia. The Moon had set in the west around two hours before it became full. However since the appearance of the Moon’s phase does not change very quickly, the Moon would have looked very full when it set.


14 posted on 10/21/2010 1:19:24 PM PDT by TSgt (Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho - 44th and current President of the United States)
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