A RARE astronomical event that only occurs every 18 years is happening once again.
It’s called the great lunar standstill – and some believe it could even be linked to Stonehenge.
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WHAT IS A LUNAR STOP?
A major lunar standstill is an event that happens every 18.6 years.
It takes place over several months and sees the Moon following a more dramatic path throughout the sky.
The reasons are very complicated, but ultimately they are linked to the angle between the Moon and the celestial equator (its declination).
Normally the Moon rises and sets in approximately the same place.
But during a major lunar standstill, its inclination undergoes a greater oscillation and the Moon rises further north and south.
In practice, this means that the Moon will appear to move differently than normal.
The points on the horizon where the Moon rises and sets are further north and south during a major lunar standstill.
This means we see steeper angles, with the Moon appearing to rise much higher on some nights – and also reaching a lower peak on others.
Effectively, the highest and lowest points of the Moon’s position in the sky are more extreme than they would normally be.
WHEN TO SEE THE LUNAR PARADE
The great lunar standstill is not something that happens in a single day, but over a period of time.
The last time we saw a major shutdown was in 2006.
O next one begins in 2024 with the Moon’s declination becoming more extreme.
The Moon – our closest neighbor explained
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space body that orbits a planet
- It is Earth’s only natural satellite and the fifth largest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles in diameter, approximately 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon range from minus 173 degrees Celsius to 260 degrees Celsius
- Experts assumed the Moon was another planet until Nicolaus Copernicus outlined his theory about our Solar System in 1543.
- It was eventually assigned a “class” after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610.
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51 billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about one-sixth that of Earth’s gravity
- The Earth and Moon have “synchronous rotation”, which means we always see the same side of the Moon – hence the phrase “dark side of the Moon”.
- The Moon’s surface is actually dark, but it appears bright in the sky due to its reflective soil
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon almost completely covers the Sun. Both objects appear to be similar sizes in the sky because the Sun is 400 times larger and farther away
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union’s lunar program.
- The first manned orbital mission was NASA’s Apollo 8 in 1968
- And the first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission.
For keen skywatchers, the shutdown is expected to be more extreme in late 2024 to early 2025.
The best chances to see the effects are during full moons.
Here is a list of upcoming full moons:
- June 21, 2024
- July 21, 2024
- August 19, 2024
- September 17, 2024
- October 17, 2024
- November 15, 2024
- December 15, 2024
- January 13, 2025
- February 12, 2025
- March 14, 2025
- April 12, 2025
- May 12, 2025
- June 11, 2025
- July 10, 2025
- August 9, 2025
- September 7, 2025
- October 6, 2025
- November 4, 2025
- December 4, 2025
It is believed that at least one major strike was marked during Stonehenge’s early phase, potentially influencing the monument’s design and purpose.
English Heritage
The best time to see the effects of the shutdown will be around the September 2024 and March 2025 equinoxes.
Equinoxes occur when the length of days and nights are approximately equal.
If you regularly observe the Moon from the same location, you will see significant changes in how it appears to move across the sky over the weeks and months.
The next equinoxes are scheduled for September 22, 2024 and March 20, 2025.
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HOW ARE YOU CONNECTED TO STONEHENGE?
Some experts believe that the mysterious Stonehenge monument in England is linked to major lunar outages.
“It is believed that at least one major strike was marked during the early phase of Stonehenge, potentially influencing the design and purpose of the monument,” explains English Heritage.
The organization continues: “In a major lunar standstill, the Moon rises and sets in a place on the horizon that the Sun never reaches.
“For people who track the Sun’s movement throughout the year – such as agricultural communities who use horizon calendars to plant and harvest crops – the Moon’s appearance further north and south than the Sun’s extremes may have been highly significant. .
“Perhaps this was a time when the lunar deity was stronger than the solar.
“Occurring only every 19 years or so, the great lunar standstill would have been a generational event – spoken of in stories passed orally from one generation to the next.”
English Heritage will also live stream Stonehenge’s southernmost moonrise on June 21 on its YouTube channel.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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