Lunar Analemma

[GCoyote]

I need some help here. A buddy posted this on Facebook. My gut reaction is that the picture is real but the description is wrong. There is no other info about the photo.
1. Am I missing something?
2. What would be the correct observing schedule to actually shoot this set of photos for a valid composite?

[Lady Fraktor]

It seems to be a bit exaggerated on the curve but who knows, I have never thought much about it.
I did see this though: https://science.nasa.gov/analemma-moon

[Arsene37]

In my sense, if you take picture at the exact same time and you see the full moon in face of you, 14 days later, it's new moon, "visible" during the daylight …

[GCoyote]

In my sense, if you take picture at the exact same time and you see the full moon in face of you, 14 days later, it's new moon, "visible" during the daylight …

That's where you lost me. 14 days later at the same time, isn't the moon in the opposite direction?

[GCoyote]

Update: This appears to be the original and the artists specifically states she captured the images over the course of a year.
https://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_u ... _id=143738

[Thefatkitty]

I agree Gary; the comment in the first photo seems wrong. The article Gabrielle posted says this:

On average the Moon returns to the same position in the sky about 50 minutes and 29 seconds later each day. So photograph the Moon 50 minutes 29 seconds later on successive days. Over one lunation or lunar month it will trace out an analemma-like curve as the Moon's actual position wanders due to its tilted and elliptical orbit.

That makes sense, which is why it couldn't be at the same time every day like 9PM. Also, I'd have to think you would need to pick a good time frame, as in a new Moon starting in early twilight and progressing to dawn, and during a time of year with less daylight hours.

Just my $0.02

[messier 111]

but still it is beautiful , thx .

[bobharmony]

The original is very artistic but not very accurate as described. The photos couldn't be taken over one lunar month, at the same time each day. Nor could they be taken 50 minutes earlier each day as the new Moons one month apart would be photographed at pretty much the same place in the sky on average, not at opposite horizons.

The NASA sequence that Gabby provided the link to is much better as it positions the new Moon and the Full Moon at the same point in the sky, which makes sense if each days photo is taken 50.5 minutes earlier than the previous days.

Bob

[GCoyote]

I think the correct analog to the solar analemma would be to record each full moon at local midnight and plot those. The monthly phases of the moon don't seem to correspond to the analemma pattern at all.

[ARock]

A discussion from reddit



in particular

[Arsene37]

Hello !

That's where you lost me. 14 days later at the same time, isn't the moon in the opposite direction?

You got it ! Because the picture was took at night (full moon high in the sky, looking southward), the new moon can't be seen because you must wait around 12 h (in the daylight, when the sun is high)
Arsène

[notFritzArgelander]

In my sense, if you take picture at the exact same time and you see the full moon in face of you, 14 days later, it's new moon, "visible" during the daylight …

That's where you lost me. 14 days later at the same time, isn't the moon in the opposite direction?

Yep. To get a 1 month analemma of a single lunar orbit it has to be shy of an hour later each day to compensate for the eastern motion in the sky. Then the opposite problem is avoided.

[turboscrew]

From the explanation, I got the idea, that there is one picture taken each day of lunar month, but not the same lunar month. If the weather was bad, the picture was taken on the same lunar month day, but next lunar month.

[GCoyote]

Although the translation is not the best, the explanation ARock found on Reddit indicates a degree of poetic license was also takin in composing the final image.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to this little mental exercise. I enjoyed this more than the image!

[JayTee]

I just want to thank all of you guys for working on this. The reason being, this post just hurt my brain.

Thanks,