Moon phases and Earth-Moon distance in 2024. IMAGE: BMKG
Darilaut – The Moon’s orbit when the Moon circles the Earth is elliptical. The effect of changing the distance of the Moon from Earth can be observed through the appearance of the Moon in certain phases when at apoge and at perigee will be different.
At some point the Moon will be at its closest position to the Earth, which is called perigee. Another time, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), will be at the farthest position from Earth, which is called apoge.
The period of revolution of the Moon in its orbital plane, calculated from the position of perigee to apogee and back to perigee, is called the anomalistic period. On average, it takes 27.55455 days (27 days 13 hours 18 minutes 33 seconds).
The image displays the times of the Moon’s phases, the distance between the Earth and the Moon, and the time when the Moon will be at perigee and apogee in 2024.
In this image you can see that the Moon at perigee and apogee is not always in the same phase.
An example is when the Moon will be closest to Earth in 2024.
On March 10, 2024 at 14.05 WIB, “The Moon will be at its closest position to Earth in 2024,” said BMKG, citing a press release, Wednesday (27/12). The distance was 356,894 km and “1 hour 55 minutes later the Moon was in the new moon phase.”
Something similar also applies when the Moon is at apogee. On February 25 2024 at 22.00 WIB the Moon was at apogee 406,311 km away and 26 hours 30 minutes earlier the Moon was in the full phase.
When the Moon is in the full phase on October 17 2024, which is close to when the Moon is at perigee, the semi-diameter of the Moon as seen from Earth is 16′ 42.79”.
Meanwhile, on February 24 2024, when the Moon is at apogee, the semi-diameter of the Moon will be 14′ 42.84”.
Remembering that during the new moon phase the size of the Moon will not be observed, except at that time solar eclipsethe comparison of the size of the Moon during the full phase at apogee with the Moon during the full phase at perigee can be seen well.
The perigee full moon or better known as the supermoon in 2024 will occur on 21 August 2024, 18 September 2024, 17 October 2024, and 14 November 2024 with a semi-diameter of the Moon of more than 16′ 30”.
Meanwhile, the full moon apogee or better known as the minimoon will occur on February 25 2024 and March 23 2024, with a semi-diameter of the Moon of less than 14′ 45”.
BMKG explains that the Moon is a celestial body that orbits the Earth. Because the source of the Moon’s light as seen from Earth is the reflection of sunlight, the shape of the Moon as seen from Earth will change.
These changes in the shape of the Moon as seen from Earth are called the phases of the Moon.
Of the various phases of the Moon, there are four main phases, namely the new moon phase, the early half-full moon phase (first quarter), the full moon phase, and the late half-full moon phase (last quarter).
The period of revolution of the Moon in its orbital plane is calculated from the position of the new moon phase to the initial half-full moon phase to the full moon phase to the final half-full moon phase and back to the new moon phase which is called the synodic period, which on average takes 29.53059 days (29 day 12 hours 44 minutes 03 seconds).
Because the length of time it takes for the Moon to complete the two periods is different, at some point the Moon will be in the new moon phase and its position will be at apogee.
At other times, the Moon will be in the full phase and its position at perigee. Likewise, the opposite can happen. This can be known by comparing the time when the Moon is in a certain phase with the time when the Moon’s position is at perigee or apogee.
2023-12-27 17:45:06
#Earth #Moon #BMKG #Explanation #Sea
