Re: What's happening with the moon?!

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Article #4716

#4716

From: Mark Gingrich
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 00:00

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Robbie Baldock (rcb@ednet.co.uk) wondered:

> Anyone know why the Moon's phases seem to be racing at the moment?!
> My ephemeris says it should be at first quarter this evening but it's
> plainly half-full!


And some of us pessimists say it's half-empty. 

Seriously, there's nothing abnormal about it.  The perceived illuminated
area on the Moon's disk changes at maximum rate during the first- and
last-quarter phases.  And the term "first quarter" means one-fourth of
the way through a complete cycle, not the fraction of the disk lit up,
unlike the term "full" Moon.  So, we're all guilty to using woefully
inconsistent terminology, which is why some folks claim that astronomy
is not so much a science as it is a club....

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Mark Gingrich      grinch@rahul.net      San Leandro, California
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From: Mark Gingrich <grinch@rahul.net>
Subject: Re: What's happening with the moon?!
Date: 1997/01/16
Message-ID: <5bjv4b$j83@samba.rahul.net>
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