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My daughter has a contact In Australia who posed this question. Can anyone answer?
Begin forwarded message:
From: Ken Rolph <kenrolph@unwired.com.au>
Date: July 9, 2009 10:25:13 PM EDT
To: Jane Lebak <tabris02@mac.com>
Subject: seas of the moon
Jane,
The clouds parted long enough for me to get a look at the moon when it was rising last night. It was about 30 degrees up when I noted the positions.
There are stories in all cultures of creatures in the moon, man, hare or otherwise. These are interpretations from the positions of the darker areas (maria or seas) versus the lighter areas. This is where my sense of upsidedownness comes from. It struck me when viewing an episode of the Inspector Linley Mysteries. They were in a small English village were old pagan customs were still in operation. There were regular full screen shots of a shining full moon. It didn't look right to me, so I went outside and looked up to check. That's when I first understood it was different. It probably looks different at different latitudes. I was mainly interested to see what it might look like at a northern latitude of rough similarity to mine.
The main feature is a dark kidney shaped area which occupies a large part of the moon's surface. This covers the Mare Nubium, Mare Humorum, Mare Imbrium, Mare Serentatis. When I look at the moon rising, this kidney shaped area is along the bottom of the moon's face. About mid left the Mare Tranquilitatis shades upwards into two ear-like stripes. These are the Mare Nectaris (lower) and Mare Fecunditatis (along the edge from about 9 to 12 on the clock face). About 10 or 11 o'clock is the small dark lump of the Mare Crisium. I hope I've typed all those correctly.
How does that match with what you see? The moon map in my Readers Digest Atlas has everything right upside down, but doesn't say from what latitude this vision is taken.
The moon does not travel directly overhead at our latitudes. When you face where the moon rises, it travels over one shoulder. For me this is the left shoulder, the same way that the sun travels. When the moon is at its highest point and I look at it I am facing north. How is it for you?
Ken Rolph
Blacktown Australia
Begin forwarded message:
From: Ken Rolph <kenrolph@unwired.com.au>
Date: July 9, 2009 10:25:13 PM EDT
To: Jane Lebak <tabris02@mac.com>
Subject: seas of the moon
Jane,
The clouds parted long enough for me to get a look at the moon when it was rising last night. It was about 30 degrees up when I noted the positions.
There are stories in all cultures of creatures in the moon, man, hare or otherwise. These are interpretations from the positions of the darker areas (maria or seas) versus the lighter areas. This is where my sense of upsidedownness comes from. It struck me when viewing an episode of the Inspector Linley Mysteries. They were in a small English village were old pagan customs were still in operation. There were regular full screen shots of a shining full moon. It didn't look right to me, so I went outside and looked up to check. That's when I first understood it was different. It probably looks different at different latitudes. I was mainly interested to see what it might look like at a northern latitude of rough similarity to mine.
The main feature is a dark kidney shaped area which occupies a large part of the moon's surface. This covers the Mare Nubium, Mare Humorum, Mare Imbrium, Mare Serentatis. When I look at the moon rising, this kidney shaped area is along the bottom of the moon's face. About mid left the Mare Tranquilitatis shades upwards into two ear-like stripes. These are the Mare Nectaris (lower) and Mare Fecunditatis (along the edge from about 9 to 12 on the clock face). About 10 or 11 o'clock is the small dark lump of the Mare Crisium. I hope I've typed all those correctly.
How does that match with what you see? The moon map in my Readers Digest Atlas has everything right upside down, but doesn't say from what latitude this vision is taken.
The moon does not travel directly overhead at our latitudes. When you face where the moon rises, it travels over one shoulder. For me this is the left shoulder, the same way that the sun travels. When the moon is at its highest point and I look at it I am facing north. How is it for you?
Ken Rolph
Blacktown Australia