# Whats with the moon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498 "2008-10-25T11:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/41 "2008-10-26T20:16:41Z")
> [@jmcvann](#): > > True. I should have been more specific. I meant to say just what you said! Additionally, before I hit the POST button I considered if it were possible that maybe at the poles the angles would not allow seeing the moon during the day. Without checking, I assumed the answer to be “no.” To quote you: “Anyone know for sure?” Since the sun and the moon (and the planets too) roughly follow the ecliptic, an imaginary line across the sky from the western to eastern horizon, then any place you can see the sun, you can also see the moon. During the new moon the moon is right next to the sun, during the first quarter it’s about 6 hours behind, then at full moon it’s 12 hours behind, and at third quarter it’s 6 hours ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/42 "2008-10-26T20:27:55Z")
The beautiful effect noted in the OP is often called “the old moon in the new moon’s arms.” Isn’t that nice? ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/43 "2008-10-26T20:38:12Z")
I once read, in a 1970’s astronomy book, that this effect has been observed with the planet Venus (which also has phases, though of course you need a telescope to see them). This was described as a mystery, since Venus has no moon to reflect light on to its dark side, and the Earth is too far away to have any effect whatsoever. Does anyone know if this effect has ever been explained in the case of Venus? Or was it just an illusion like the canals of Mars? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/44 "2008-10-26T22:35:01Z")
Speaking of the sky, does anyone know what the incredibly bright star in the south-eastern sky this morning was? I was out about 6:30 a.m. and saw this star (or probably planst) and it was shining both red and blue. It was out from Orion a little ways, about halfway between it and the moon in the east. I tried to consult some skymap wensites, but I couldn’t find anything conclusive. It may have been Jupiter, but most of the websites had it closer to the moon than where I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/45 "2008-10-26T23:39:37Z")
Another interesting thing is that the moon doesn’t have uniform density; tidal forces have deformed it, locking it into a rotational speed that matches its period of revolution. The net result: the same side always faces the earth, and unless you’re a surviving Apollo astronaut, you have likely never seen the back side of the moon with your naked eye. In fact, if you didn’t know this, you’re required to go back to college, get really stoned and re-listen to The Dark Side of the Moon over and over again. (And then pop a DVD of The Wizard of Oz into your player and start both the movie and the album at the same time).😃 ETA: I swear I read the entire thread before posting, but didn’t think that anyone had mentioned the synchronous orbit. Maybe I was vicariously reliving my own college experiences while typing? Anyone buy that? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/46 "2008-10-27T00:11:03Z")
Actually, there’s a slight wobble to it, so you can actually see [about 60% of the Moon’s surface](http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010218.html) at some time or another. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/47 "2008-10-27T00:30:31Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > I was out about 6:30 a.m. and saw this star (or probably planst) and it was shining both red and blue. It was out from Orion a little ways. Probably Sirius. As the brightest star in the sky, it appears incredibly twinkly some nights. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/48 "2008-10-27T00:45:14Z")
> [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](#): > > I once read, in a 1970’s astronomy book, that this effect has been observed with the planet Venus (which also has phases, though of course you need a telescope to see them). This was described as a mystery, since Venus has no moon to reflect light on to its dark side, and the Earth is too far away to have any effect whatsoever. Does anyone know if this effect has ever been explained in the case of Venus? Or was it just an illusion like the canals of Mars? It’s called the [“ashen light”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashen_light) and, as the article notes, it’s still a matter of disagreement and uncertainty. ---
**Author:** ![luvtinayothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@luvtinayothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luvtinayothers)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/49 "2008-10-27T09:57:12Z")
This explains it all! 😃 [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaAX4adkMBk) ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/50 "2008-10-27T12:32:09Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Probably Sirius. As the brightest star in the sky, it appears incredibly twinkly some nights. Twinkliness has nothing to do with the brightness of a star but rather with its height above the horizon. Stars close to the horizon twinkle more. It happens that Sirius never appears very high up in the sky from the northern temperate latitudes. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/51 "2008-10-27T13:14:45Z")
Stars twinkle more when the atmosphere is turbulent, and the brighter the star, the more obvious the twinkling. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/52 "2008-10-27T14:38:40Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Stars twinkle more when the atmosphere is turbulent, and the brighter the star, the more obvious the twinkling. But viewing a star low down in the sky means you’re viewing it through a thicker layer of air. More air = more turbulence = more twinkling. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/53 "2008-10-27T15:12:42Z")
> [@luvtinayothers](#): > > This explains it all! 😃 > > [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=yaAX4adkMBk](http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=yaAX4adkMBk) Ah, so that’s what the woman who thought Al Qaida was behind rainbows in sprinklers is doing now. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/54 "2008-10-27T15:14:38Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Remarkable how little people in our urban society know of the sky at night. Supposedly, a majority of city-dwellers when asked in a survey say that you cannot see the moon in the daytime. The comedian Steven Wright wondered why you can sometimes see the Moon in the daytime, but you _never_ see the Sun at night. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/55 "2008-10-27T15:41:45Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Sitting aloft in my space ship from ‘Undomogongerali’ I have to ask, This is bad how? 🆒 Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute here. Your tag says you’re in “N/W Arkansas!” Cheater. RR ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/56 "2008-10-27T17:19:47Z")
Growing up, my parents taught me that the phases were the “earth’s shadow” on the moon. I found out the actual reason when I was around 10 our 11, but no amount of diagramming or showing books from the library or citing Mr Wizard would convince my parents otherwise. It wasn’t until completing college and having my physics degree that they finally considered my wacky evidence to have merit :dubious: Now, my mom still talks about “how smart I am” for figuring out that “moon business”. I love her, and she’s quite smart in her international-languages-study education way, but she just doesn’t rub elbows with the hard sciences. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/57 "2008-10-28T01:03:32Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Growing up, my parents taught me that the phases were the “earth’s shadow” on the moon. My fifth grade teacher insisted the same thing and that there was no such thing as a lunar eclipse. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498/58 "2008-10-28T03:53:19Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Remarkable how little people in our urban society know of the sky at night. Supposedly, a majority of city-dwellers when asked in a survey say that you cannot see the moon in the daytime. I think that’s more an unconscious expression of the sun=day moon=night (false) duality than the unthinking stupidity it sounds like. People just associate the moon with the night because that’s when it’s the most prominent object in the sky; when it’s up in the day it’s so much less noticeable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-moon/469498.md?page=2)