Private: January full moon mimics path of July sun
January 19, 2011 - ES Tonight
The January full moon falls today at 21:21 (9:21 p.m.) Universal Time. And a bright full-looking moon will light up the night tonight from dusk till dawn.
The clock time of every full moon varies around the globe. For the mainland U.S. the moon turns full during the afternoon or early evening hours. In Asia and Australia, full moon takes place during the morning hours tomorrow.
It’s the same instant of full moon for all of us. It’s just our clocks and calendars saying different times. Now think about the path tonight’s moon will travel across the sky. That path will mimic the path of the sun six months from now.
In both hemispheres, the January sun rises and sets south of due east and west. In the northern hemisphere, these far-southern risings and settings give us the short days of winter. South of the equator, the same far-southern sunrises and sunsets bring long summer days. But the moon is opposite the sun.
And that’s why tonight’s moon – like the July sun – will follow a high path across the sky as seen from the northern part of the globe – and a low path as seen from the southern. At every full moon, the moon rises around sunset, climbs highest in the sky around midnight and sets around sunrise. Watch for it.