THE MOON AND THE WEATHER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2293, 23 June 1921, Page 1

THE MOON AND THE WEATHER.

The old-fashioned views as to the (‘licet of the moon on the weather are very curious, and they dib. hard. If one does allect the other in any way it is that under certain conditions the weather may ailed the apparent position of the moon as seen by an observer on this earth. The apparent position of the young moon ‘‘on its back is entirely an astronomical consideration depending on the relative positions of the sun, moon and earth, and llie horizon of the observer, to which lie refers all objects and which varies with the latitude.

Speaking generally (says the Weekly Scotsman), approaches the equator, the moon when new will appear to gel more and more on its back when near netting. The crescent is in our latitude most on its back in spring, and least in autumn. The nearer the instant of setting the more it appears on it- ; hack.. The positions would be constant for I lie same periods of the year if the moon’s orbit or path coincided with the elliptic or plane of the earth’s path round the sun. That there are no such confiding conditions causes the apparent .position of the crescent to vary a little for the same time of year. The earth, sun, and moon are not exactly. in the same relative positions, at all seasons of the year, so that the position of the moon is not always |he siiuo, and the lying on the back may be more apparent at one time of the year than at another. The position can have nothing to do with the weather. If it had, the weather after the new moon, say in March or any othei month, should be about the same every year.