MOON  DATA
Amherst Web-Urban MOON Atlas
5/15/01

EARTH-MOON  COMPARISON
  Diam.
mi.
Vol. Mass Den. Rotat.
days
Revol.
days
Surf.
Gravity
Orbit
Speed
mph
Mean
Dist.
mi.
EARTH 7,926 63 83 1 1 365.25 1 66,600 --
MOON 2,260 1 1 0.62 27.3 27.3 0.17 2,280 238,000
NAMES
Aphrodite - F- Greek Hekate - F - Greek Persephone - F - Greek
Apollo - M - Greek Hera - F - Greek Phobe - F - Greek
Artemis - F - Greek Ishtar - F - Babylon Selene - F - Green
Diana - F - Greek Isis - F - Egypt Shing - F - China
Dionysus - M - Greek Juno - F - Rome Somas - M - Greek
Earth-Child - N - 5A Luna - F - Rome Tsuki - N - Japan
Europa - F - Greek Osiris - M - Egypt .
AMERICAN   FULL MOON  NAMES
Jan   Winter, Old, Wolf, Yule . Jul   Summer, Thunder, Buck, Hay
Feb   Snow, Storm, Hunger . Aug   Dog Day, Corn, Grain, Sturgeon
Mar   Sap, Fish, Crow, Worm . Sep   Harvest, Fruit
Apr   Grass, Pink, Egg, Planters . Oct   Hunter's, Blood
May   Flower, Milk, Hare . Nov   Frosty, Beaver
Jun   Rose, Strawberry, Honey, Hot . Dec   Cold, Long Nite, Christmas, Oak

MOON  DATA

Diameter:  2,160 miles;   Equitorial -  3,476 km;   Polar -  3,470 km
Surface Area:  1,469,00 sq. mi.
Mass:  7,340,000,000,000,000,000 kg.;   .01227 Earth
Volume:  5.23 Trillion cubic mi.;   .0203 Earth
Density:   3.34 Water;   .606 Earth
Surface Gravity:   .166 Earth
Esacape Velocity:  1.5 mi./sec., 2.38 km./sec.;   Earth: 11.2 km./sec.;  21.3% Earth
Orbit Eccentricity:   .0549
Distance:   Apogee: 252,948 mi.;   Perigee: 221,593 mi.
Apparent Diameter:  Perigee  33' 31";    Apogee:  29' 22"
Rotation:  Synchronous
Orbital Velocity:  Mean:  2,287 mph;  Max.:   2,429 mph;  Min:  2,153 pmh
Apparent Motion:  Approx. 1/2 degree/hr.;  13 degrees/day
Mean Sidereal Period:  27d, 7h, 43m  =  27.3217 days
Mean Synodic Period:  29d, 12h, 44m, 2.78s  =   29.5306 days
Mean Orbit Inclination - To Ecliptic:  5d  8'   43"
Rotational Axis Inclination - to Orbit:  1d  0'   30"s
Nodes Revolution:  18y, 10d, 8h, 30m
Saros Cycle:  18y, 10d, 7h, 42m
Mean Longitudinal Terminator Motion:  11.49 degrees/day   = 216.47 mi. at Eq.
1 Degree Longitude at Equator = 18.84 mi.
% Visible from Earth:  58.9
Limb to Limb Distance = 3,391 mi.
Surface Temp.:  Max.:  118 c.;   Min:   -153 c.
Albedo:  .073
Apparent Magnitude:  Full:  -12.6;  Quarter:   -10.2
Coordinate System:  0 in Sinus Medii
Shape:  Triaxial Ellipsoid,  Flattened at Poles,   Bulge towards Earth,  Smaller Bulge opposite Earth
Lagrange Points:  5

ORBIT  DATA

SIDEREAL MONTH - Time to same R.A. Position;   27.32166 days;
  Precession 3.76",   Increases 7 sec./yr.
TROPICAL MONTH - Sidereal Month minus Precession;    27.32158 days
SYNODIC MONTH - New-New, Full-Full Phase; Most conspicuous Month,
360 degrees times Sidereal Month divided by Sidereal Year
ANOMALISTIC MONTH - Perigee to Perigee;   27.55455 days
DRACONIC MONTH - Node to Node;   27.2122 days
BARYCENTER - Earth-Moon Mass Center;   Revolves around Sun;
Earth Revolves around Barycenter 1/month
Moves 1,196 km./hr. in Earth Mantle;   1/81.3 distance from Earth to Moon
4,727 km. from Earth Center;  1,650 km. below Earth Surface
Earth Center can be 456 km above/below Ecliptic
Barycenter Orbit defines Ecliptic
ECCENTRICITY - .054900 from Barycenter; Varies 5.49% from Average Distance
Barycenter varies from 1,900 (Perigee) to 1,400 (Apogee) km. below Earth Surface
Ellipcity varies - stretched (greater) when Apsides Axis points to Sun
more circular (less) when at right angle to Sun
Perigee closer at Full & New, further at 1st & Last Quarter
Apogee distance varies less than Perigee
Asides Axis Precesses E. (forward) in 2,236.2 days (18y, 10m) about 3 degrees per Orbit.
Apsides:  Line through Perigee-Apogee
Apogee about 252,948 mi.;  Perigee about 221,593 mi.
INCLINATION - Varies about 5 degrees 8' 43" (5.145 degrees) from Ecliptic
Moon can be 37,000 km. (5.29 degrees) above/below Ecliptic
Max. 29 degrees N. or S. Declination,  Varies 59' (.15 degrees) in 173 day period
Moon Can Occult any Star 5.5 degrees from Ecliptic
Nutation Period:  Recession Cycle of Inclination;  6,793.5 days (18.6 yrs.)
Recesses W. (back) .053 degrees per day
Node:   Point where Moon's Center crosses Ecliptic
Nodal Period: 2.6 hrs less than Sidereal,  Node Recesses (W., back) .053 degrees per day
Node Alignment: Axis of Nodes points to Sun each 173.3 days
Line of Nodes Recesses W about 19 degrees per year
Eclipse Season: about 1 or 6 Syzygys (New to Full) have Eclipse,
Usually 4 Eclipses/yr.,  max of 7
PHASE - SYZYGY = New to Full
Waxing = Growing;   Waning = Shrinking;
Crescent = Less than 1/2 Lit;   Gibbous = more than 1/2 Lit
Elongation = Angular Distance of Moon from Sun
Phase Angle = Angular Distance of Earth & Sun, measured form Moon
Illuminated Fraction = % of Lit Moon facing Earth = 1/2(1+cos phase angle)
LIBRATION
Longitude - from Elliptical Orbit & Synchronous Rotation
about 6 degrees 17',   max. 7 degrees 54'
Rotation nearly constant so at -
1/2 Time from Perigee to Apogee (> 1/2 Orbital Distance) Right (E.) Limb exposed
1/2 Time from Apogee to Perigee (< 1/2 Orbital Distance) Left (W.) Limb exposed
Latitude - Rotational Axis inclined 6 degrees 50' to Orbital Plane
Diurnal - Measured from position on Earth & Earth Rotation E. to W.
Physical - Slight Rotational Irregularity from Triaxial Ellipsoidal Shape