Kate....blog reader and physicist from England sent me an email with some information about the moon. We all learned these things in school....but I never mind being reminded. Kate is the same person who introduced me to The Butterfly Effect....so I pay attention when she shares! Here's Kate's moon refresher...with a twist at the end:
"The moon seems to rise because the Earth is spinning on its axis, but the Moon also moves around the Earth every 27.3 days, which is why we get different phases of the moon (and lunar months). But it also sort of wiggles up and down a bit, which is why it's never in the same place each night. Basically, they are continuously dancing around each other. And I love that."
I love that too....the idea of the earth and moon dancing around each other. Thank you for planting that image in my head Kate!
Speaking of dancing....I've been keeping an eye on the Montauk Daisies right up the street.
They started blooming at the end of September...and I walk by them several times a day. These are a couple montages I sent to Alyson over the past month as I've been tracking them.
Thank you, Kate and MaryAnn, for the info about lunar libration. If I was ever taught about that wobbling and nodding, I have no memory of the lesson (maybe it was presented on the day when I preoccupied about getting access to the classroom bathroom pass at a very specific time so I could meet with my friend from a different classroom and use her coveted crutches for a few minutes!!!).
ReplyDeleteLike you, we've been watching Montauk daisies! Many bloomed later than usual. We kept waiting and waiting and were eventually well rewarded, and we've been watching them dance around as they begin to fade.
The wiggling and dancing were my favorite parts that we didn't learn in school! So you probably didn't miss it while you were meeting up with your friend. Your memory made me smile.
DeleteAren't the Montauk daisies a delight this time of year! I'm glad you have some to watch dance too!