Any astronomers out there???

**zazen999** · 25-10-2010, 08:01 PM

It's like QI in here sometimes.....

**binley100** · 25-10-2010, 08:10 PM

My brain hurts..............

**Capsid** · 25-10-2010, 08:20 PM

The orbit duration is 27.3 days, slightly less than 28 days.

I've heard that some people think the moon only appears at night.

**bobleponge** · 25-10-2010, 08:26 PM

I've heard still others say that the earth is round as well!!

I think Capsid's reason is the one I would have said, one orbit is slightly less than 28 days, which accounts for the leap year.

**zazen999** · 25-10-2010, 08:38 PM

Originally posted by Capsid View Post

I've heard that some people think the moon only appears at night.

**Nicos** · 25-10-2010, 08:38 PM

BUT...how does that explain why Feb/March and Nov/Dec full moons were 30 days apart??( see the chart I linked)..and not 28 days ???

**zazen999** · 25-10-2010, 08:54 PM

This October - there are 5 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.....haven't had that for years [according to Stuart Maconie just now].

**Capsid** · 25-10-2010, 09:16 PM

OK, I misunderstood your post. The full moon occurs every 29.53 days due to the way the earth rotates around the earth and the earth rotates around the sun. This called the synodic month.

While the moon is orbiting the earth, the Earth is progressing in its orbit around the Sun. This means that after completing a month the Moon must move a little farther to reach the new position of the Earth with respect to the Sun. This is called the synodic month. There are on average 12.37 full moons a year.

**Caro** · 25-10-2010, 10:52 PM

Originally posted by zazen999 View Post

This October - there are 5 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.....haven't had that for years [according to Stuart Maconie just now].

My dad said he read that in the newspaper. So I looked at the calendar, and only had to go back as far as January - this year! So I don't understand what that is all about?

**OllieMartin** · 26-10-2010, 08:15 AM

Originally posted by bobleponge View Post

I've heard still others say that the earth is round as well!!

I think Capsid's reason is the one I would have said, one orbit is slightly less than 28 days, which accounts for the leap year.

It's the number of rotations the earth makes before making one 'full' rotation of the sun. (It doesn't make a true full rotation for 26,000 years as the orbit shifts slightly each time).

**zazen999** · 26-10-2010, 10:46 AM

Originally posted by Caro View Post

My dad said he read that in the newspaper. So I looked at the calendar, and only had to go back as far as January - this year! So I don't understand what that is all about?

An October with 5 I think.......

**Hilary B** · 27-10-2010, 03:20 PM

Even an October which starts on a Friday happens 4 times in 28 years (usually 6 years apart but at one point it is 11 years instead). The really rare calendar phenomenon only happens with the Chinese calendar.

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