We end the month of June with Moon being farthest to earth today, 30/06/2014
at a distance of 4,05,932km. The 3-day-old crescent moon will be an amazing
site in the evening twilight. After sunset crescent moon will be high in the western
sky at an altitude of 30degrees and will set at 9pm.
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Graphic: Stellarium
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Moon orbits the earth with an eccentricity of 0.0549, not a
circle, and that makes moon to have farthest and closest points from
earth. Apogee is when Moon is farthest from
earth and Perigee is when moon is closest to earth.
Moon on 30th June will be at Apogee at a
distance of 4,05,930km from earth with an angular diameter of
0.49degrees. As moon continues in its
orbit, it will reach closest point to earth, Perigee, on July 13th
at a distance of 3,58,260km and this will make the angular diameter of moon 0.55degrees.
As we can see, the difference is too small to be observed without
any reference, best way to measure this difference is to take photographs of
moon at Apogee and Perigee and compare the prints. Today if the skies are clear
in the evening sky, go out and enjoy the crescent moon.
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