Am I insane ?

sunny2004

This is my first post here as I mainly use the photography forum.

My question is simple.

When looking at the moon from different places on the planet, do you see it from a different rotation point of view ?

If that doesn't make sense let me put this to you. If I drop or photoshop a moon image taken from Ireland into an image taken in say, New York or Egypt would the view of the moon be right regarding its rotation clockwise or anti-clockwise ! I am not referring to its overall position in the sky as that will be an aesthetic decision

If this question is nuts than simply reply with a reply to the title !

And thank you for your time !

The Hill Billy

Do you want to know whether observers at different locations on Earth see different faces of the Moon?

Not really. We always see pretty much the same side of the Moon from Earth.

Calibos

The orientation would be the same from the same latitude no matter where in the world and for many degrees north and south of that given latitude the change in rotation wouldn't be that noticable. But for instance, the moon appears upside down in Austrailia in the Southern hemisphere. I heard a guy say it was the weirdest thing seein the waxing half moon on its side like a smilie face when he viewed it from the canaries.

So in effect if you were composing a picture of the moon and new york at about 40 deg N (We are at 53N) there would be some clockwise rotation but not much. If you were composing a picture with the moon over the florida keys, the clockwise rotation would be much more significant.

Flukey

The Moon rotates and orbits us in a manner such that the same side of it faces us all the time. We can't see the so-called "dark side of the Moon". Given that it is spherical, we in reality only see about 40% of it when it is full, though that may sound strange. However given that it is rotating all the time, when it is not full, there are other parts facing us at those times. So when you include all that, overall we see about 60% of the Moon.

When it isn't full you can in fact see some things better, especially around what we call the terminator, which is the edge of the bright area. When the Moon isn't full, some of its craters light up quite well and can in fact be seen better, than when they are under the full glare of the Sun. Check some of the photos on my website to see what I mean. The ones where the moon isn't actually full enables some of the craters to be seen better. The second photo of the Moon on my site shows it best. If you look to the left, you can see where the Sun is shining on it and it makes it very hard to see. Towards the right edge though, near the terminator, you can clearly see the craters.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~flukey/AstronomyPage.htm.

It is just past full at present. Rising quite close to it now is Jupiter, appearing like a very bright star rising around midnight, towards the south. It is unmistakeable. Check it out on any clear night over the next few nights. It will in fact be there for the next few months, rising a bit earlier each night as time goes on. Well to the west of it, or right of it if you prefer, you will see a bright star, not very high, but clearly flickering, making it very distinctive. It is Antares. It may be summer, with less darkness, but there is always plenty to see. Keep your eyes open for satellites, which look like moving stars that appear, brighten, fade and disappear as they pass overhead and reflect sunlight at us.

sunny2004

Hill Billy wrote: »

Do you want to know whether observers at different locations on Earth see different faces of the Moon?

Not really. We always see pretty much the same side of the Moon from Earth.

No, I know that their is a dark side of the moon.. its its rotation as if its a clock face, It was answered above !

sunny2004

Calibos wrote: »

The orientation would be the same from the same latitude no matter where in the world and for many degrees north and south of that given latitude the change in rotation wouldn't be that noticable. But for instance, the moon appears upside down in Austrailia in the Southern hemisphere. I heard a guy say it was the weirdest thing seein the waxing half moon on its side like a smilie face when he viewed it from the canaries.

So in effect if you were composing a picture of the moon and new york at about 40 deg N (We are at 53N) there would be some clockwise rotation but not much. If you were composing a picture with the moon over the florida keys, the clockwise rotation would be much more significant.

Good man, thats what I need to know !

quilmore

I'm from the southern hemisfer, and I can tell you that the phases of the moon go the other way round over there
here go o)0(o)0(o)... with "o" being no moon and 0 being full moon
back home (for me) is o(0)o(0)o...

so, from no moon I can see what looks like a letter "C", if that makes any sense

of course full moon happen at the same time and phases take the same 7 days, it just look different when transitioning

I still can't find an explanation of what happens

Flukey

Everything about the night skies look different depending on where you are on the planet. I was in Malawi last November. It was strange seeing different constellations, and seeing some that I recognised being in completely different positions in the sky than where I am used to seeing them. I was about 15° south. People near the equator wouldn't believe you if you told them that in Ireland it can be still bright at 11pm and with it never really getting dark at the northern horizon, as is the case at this time of the year.

sunny2004

I suppose there is not a website that will give me the orientation of the moon in different locations ?

As stated I am a photographer and wish to drop an irish moon into shots taken abroad.. dont tell anyone

Pgibson

sunny2004 wrote: »

When looking at the moon from different places on the planet, do you see it from a different rotation point of view ?

Yes.

If two photographs of the moon are taken simultaneously from opposite ends of the earth, eight thousand miles apart, then it is possible to generate a Stereo 3-D image of the moon.
(Not "deep-stereo" for lunar features, as the angle is small, but stereo nevertheless.An eclipsed moon will seem to "float in front" of background stars when viewed through a stereoscope.)

For instance a good time would be: For one photographer the sun is just rising in the east while at the same time for the other photographer the sun is just setting in the west.

Paul

Pgibson

quilmore wrote: »

I still can't find an explanation of what happens

Remember you are "Upside Down".

If you walked around on your hands you would experience the same "wierd" upside down sky.

The sun and the moon would travel in the wrong direction in the sky (Rise in the west,set in the east.)and the phases of the moon are "upside down" and pointing in the wrong direction.

So its not just the strong "Castlemaine XXXX" !!

Paul.

Pgibson

My last post above was answering a different post by another user.

(About the appearance of the sky down-under.)

Don't know how it ended up here.
I must have hit a wrong button somewhere.

Paul.

Pgibson

It IS in this thread.

Talk about being disorienated.

I need some Castlemaine XXXX I reckon!

slade_x

See for yourself:

Shots of the Moon from around the world:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/top20moonshots/

The moon always shows the same face as its tidaly locked by mutual gravity but depending on where your observing it from it does appear from a number of different angles; as if the face of the moon itself was rotating, but this is only just perspective as it orbits the earth

Check out the slight colour variations of the moon at the below link:
http://www.space.com/amazingimages/cte.php?guid=42a4e900d9d154.31578613&cat=s

The picture has been over saturated to pronounce those slight colour variations that we would not easily pick up on

CabanSail

Calibos wrote: »

the moon appears upside down in Austrailia in the Southern hemisphere.

I disagree.

It's always been the right way up in Australia, it was only when I moved to Ireland that I found out you lot had switched it around. I am not happy at all about this. While I am on the subject, could you please put the Southern Cross back (no questions asked as long as it's returned by the end of the day)

A7X

We see the one face of the moon all the time because it rotates at the same speed in which it orbits us, 24hours. Therefore we only see one face of the moon.

AtomicHorror

A7X wrote: »

We see the one face of the moon all the time because it rotates at the same speed in which it orbits us, 24hours. Therefore we only see one face of the moon.

The OP knows the moon is tidally locked I think. He was wondering if shifting your perspective on Earth (by travelling several thousands of kilometers) would allow you to see a different view of that face. The answer is yes, but not by much.

Pgibson

A7X wrote: »

It rotates at the same speed in which it orbits us, 24hours. .

There is a very peculiar moon in your neck of the woods.

Does he sun do that in your parts too?

Do you eat frogs by any chance?

.

sunny2004

AtomicHorror wrote: »

The OP knows the moon is tidally locked I think. He was wondering if shifting your perspective on Earth (by travelling several thousands of kilometers) would allow you to see a different view of that face. The answer is yes, but not by much.

Yes you are right, I do understand that..

As I see it the moon is like a dinner plate, we always see the same side, but My origional question above was simple,..

Does the plate rotate if viewed from different locations around the world.. by rotate I mean,, how do I put this... you can see the full plate but its moving around like a weel or clock...

I know what I want to say but cant explain it....

Ok its a plate with chips and beans on it.. from ireland the beans are at the top... but from somewhere else like australia, the beans are at 6 oclock on the plate ????

I am hungry now.... look what you have done...

A7X

Pgibson wrote: »

There is a very peculiar moon in your neck of the woods.

Does he sun do that in your parts too?

Do you eat frogs by any chance?

.

woops dunno why I wrote 24hrs, slip of the mind maybe! I know i was thinking something right there. Anyways i understand that now but you could just correct me instead of being a like that about it, or is that just how you act with people?

AtomicHorror

sunny2004 wrote: »

As I see it the moon is like a dinner plate, we always see the same side, but My origional question above was simple,..

Does the plate rotate if viewed from different locations around the world.. by rotate I mean,, how do I put this... you can see the full plate but its moving around like a weel or clock...

I know what I want to say but cant explain it....

Ok its a plate with chips and beans on it.. from ireland the beans are at the top... but from somewhere else like australia, the beans are at 6 oclock on the plate ????

I am hungry now.... look what you have done...

The answer is yes, the moon will appear to be rotated from different locations on Earth. Roughly the rotation will be about an axis perpendicular to the Earth.

A7X wrote: »

woops dunno why I wrote 24hrs, slip of the mind maybe! I know i was thinking something right there. Anyways i understand that now but you could just correct me instead of being a like that about it, or is that just how you act with people?

It seems to be.