Monday, July 22, 2013

Moon Time Misconception

There's a big misconception that in order to find the Moon in the sky you need to go out at night.  This is portrayed in movies, newspapers, magazine articles, and unfortunately, several children's books.  The other night before bed my daughter was reading the following book.


The book is about a family that can't sleep at night, so they decide to sleep during the day and stay awake at night.  Okay, but the problem is on this page.


By itself, there's nothing wrong with this statement, but it implies that the Moon always rises at night.  If not, then the father would not be able to watch the evening news.  The Moon does rise at night...sometimes.  But it also rises during the day and during the morning.  It all depends on the phase of the Moon.  A full moon will rise around 6 - 7 PM.  A third quarter moon rises around midnight.  A first quarter moon rises around noon, and a new moon rises around 6 AM.  

Think about it.  If the Moon only rose during the evening, then you'd never see it during the day.  Granted, it is easier to see the Moon at night compared to the day, but it's not difficult to see it during the day.  In fact, it's still very easy to see it during the day.  Both of my daughters point out the Moon all the time, and most often it's during the day because they sleep at night!  


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