FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 [basically the same as today (Sunday), tomorrow, and next few days]
Posted on 12/06/2020 1:07:06 PM PST by ETL
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 [basically the same as today (Sunday), tomorrow, and next few days]
Bright Jupiter and Saturn are closer together now (1.8° apart).
Jupiter and Saturn are closing toward their record-breaking conjunction on December 21st, when they will appear only 0.1° apart.
That’s about the width of a toothpick at arm’s length!
https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-december-4-12-2/
(Excerpt) Read more at skyandtelescope.org ...
Sorry, don’t know. But what you’re asking is basically the same as, “during which month of the year does the sun set along the most southerly part of the horizon?”. Because full moons always rise at sunset, since the two are on opposite sides of the sky during full moon phases.
Sorry, wasn’t fully thinking in my last post (not sure I am now!). Had just gotten home and was preparing to eat, etc.
The day in which the sun sets along the most southerly portion of the horizon would be the shortest day of the year, or darn close to it. And since full moons always rise at sun set when the moon is in its proper position in its orbit round earth, ie, completely opposite the sun, or 180 degs apart in the sky, you would need to now both the date of the shortest day of the year AND the full moon phase nearest to that date.
Shortest day of the year = Dec 21, 2020
Next full moon = Dec 29, 2020
So I guess the answer to your question is Tuesday, Dec 29th.
That is, unless I don’t have something precisely right here.
One would think so, but now near the solstice, the sun rises and sets most southerly. Yet the full moon was rising in the North West in late November.
Sorry (again!)
I meant my reply (Post #22) for “Uncle Miltie”, not “zadox”.
Rising in the north WEST?
Typo I assume. :)
North EAST.
Bad brain.
Nonetheless, I can’t figure out why it isn’t roughly in plane with the sun.
It’s coming to me now!! When the sun is setting south of due west, the line that the moon and planets lie upon (the ecliptic) would be rising NORTH of due east, as you observed.
This is because the earth rotates on a TILTED axis.
...and so the full Moon would rise most SOUTHERLY around the time of the LONGEST day of the year. ie, beginning of SUMMER.
Perfect! Thanks!
The moon also wanders a bit north and south in terms of rises and sets because its orbit is roughly 5 degrees off the ecliptic plane of the solar system. The ecliptic is orientated precisely east-west only during the 2 equinoxes, spring and fall.
So, where do I look at midnight? Mars is now high in the western sky, bright and orange. Off to the left (south)there are a couple of bright stars Are those the ones I’m looking for?
Is that a big piglet or a midsize hog?
I wrote in my 2nd post above, “about halfway across the sky from Jupiter and Saturn toward the east is the planet Mars.”
So Jupiter and Saturn are/were about halfway across the sky to the EAST of Mars. In other words, they have long set.
Thanks. I’ll have to look for them a lot earlier! Being a night owl may not be bst sometimes.
Good idea. And the Jupiter-Saturn show only gets better and better for the next couple weeks. By Dec 16th they be closest to one another, within a speck of sky about the size of a full moon!
It is only during the spring and fall equinoxes that the full moon rises (precisely) due east and the sun sets (precisely) due west.
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