Did You See The U Shaped Moon Last Night? Amazing Pics!

reply to post by JohnySeagull

So. why can't the super intelligent people understand(especially those who think astronomy classes are needed) that this seems to be new for some people.

It's easy to accept that this is new for some people.

What is difficult to accept is the refusal to accept that this is a perfectly normal and fairly common occurrence. Just because it is new for them does not mean it is new for everyone.

As to why it is new to some people. The only answer is that they have not noticed it before. It is not uncommon. People often give their observational skills more credit than they deserve.

[edit on 5/21/2010 by Phage]

Originally posted by Tearman

EDIT: Although I believe this graphic accurately shows the differences between how the moon looks at different latitudes, it isn't applicable here because apparently the OP's photos where taken in the northern hemisphere, and not near the equator.

[edit on 17-5-2010 by Tearman]

The graphic explains it well. What it doesn't account for is the axial tilt of the Earth and the tilt of the Moon's orbit.

Having the moon at the 6 o'clock position is not a new phenomenon. It was written about by the Greeks and has in the past been known as a Cheshire Moon, like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.


Another way to think about it, when you look at the Moon when it is about to set, you are seeing it in the West, from the East. If you saw the same phase when it rose you'd be seeing it in the East, from the West. That same moon is rotated nearly 180 degrees when it rises. It is a trick of perspective, nothing more.

Originally posted by Grey Magic
Cool pictures, they remind me of the Cheshire Cat scene from Alice in Wonderland.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ee670aa7d9bd.jpg[/atsimg]

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

[edit on 17-5-2010 by Grey Magic]

There's a good reason for that. Another name for this phenomena is a "Cheshire Moon" which was named after the cheshire cat in the story.
en.wikipedia.org...

I found this answered my questions.

Question:
Why is the crescent Moon sometimes lit on the bottom?

Answer:
A careful observer will certainly notice that over the period of months, the crescent of the Moon does indeed seem to go from being lit on the "bottom" of the Moon to being lit on the side of the Moon. So what is happening to make the Moon look different? It is all a result of the Moon's orbit around the Earth, and the Earth's orbit around the Sun. And exactly when you see the Moon in the shape of a 'U' (lit on the bottom) rather than a backward 'C' (lit on the side) depends on what latitude you are at. But the explanation is the same regardless of when you see it from your location.

We see the Moon in the night sky because it is reflecting light from the Sun. The Moon does not generate any light of its own. So the lit part of the Moon always points toward the Sun. Now as you can see in the diagram, as the Earth travels aroound the Sun, the tilt of the Earth on its axis sometimes points the northern hemisphere toward the Sun and sometimes points the southern hemisphere toward the Sun. This is why we have seasons here on Earth. But this also changes the apparent path of the Moon across the night sky when you are on the Earth looking out at it. Sometimes it travels at an angle toward the horizon and sometimes it travels straight down toward the horizon. When the crescent Moon travels straight down toward the horizon, you will get the 'U' shaped Moon. Many describe this as when the 'horns' of the Moon point upward. This can happen once or twice a year, again depending on the latitude of your location.

Folklore Can Be Confusing!
This change in the appearance of the Moon has been observed for a very long time. And many conflicting definitions have been given to these lunar appearances.

Some ancient skywatchers spoke of the crescent Moon when the bottom seems to be lit as the "wet moon". They thought it looked like a bowl which could fill up with the rain and snow of the winter season. In Hawaiian astrology, Kaelo the Water Bearer rules from January 20 - February 18. According to the Hawaiian Calendar, Kaelo is the "Dripping Wet Moon" month. However, many other cultures have defined the Moon when lit on the bottom as the "dry moon" since in that configuration, the Moon is "holding in the water".

As winter passes into spring and summer, the crescent shape slowly shifts toward the south and begins to "stand on its end". To some ancients, this represented the Moon assuming a pouring position in which it will lose its water and result in the great summer rains. The result was the creation of a "dry moon", one which held no water because it all poured out. On the other hand, other cultures said that such a moon is a wet moon because it allowed the water to pour out!

Source

I hope that puts the concerns to rest.

It is a natural Occurance.

I've seen that in Romania, last night, I hope that I can take some photos tonight... We never saw it like that again. Strange moon we got, heh?

reply to post by discl0sur3


The moon looks like this tonight in Florida. I don't think there is anything wrong with it and if you google "u shaped moon", you will get several paces with explanations. I must say it looks gorgeous and it is not the first time. Some people are trying to paint this as a sign of some twisted thinking. Read, find the truth...and enjoy the view!

reply to post by discl0sur3


My wife commented on it last night as well. That clenched it for me, as she isn't really one to make note of things unless they are really different. I did notice it as well the night before as I left my shop. South central US.