Home >> Science & Nature >> Astronomy

How to Figure Out the Moon's Position in the Northern Hemisphere

The moon, like most stars, rises in the east, climbing gradually until it sets in the west. The altitude (height above the horizon) of the moon can be determined using a sextant, an instrument which is not easy to find. For a much simpler approach, all that is required is your own hands to measure the angle of the moon. It is a less accurate method, but sufficient if all you need is a rough estimate of the moon's position. This method can be used to determine the moon's position in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.

Instructions

- 1
  Face the moon. Clench your right fist and point your right arm in the direction of the moon, but parallel to the ground.
- 2
  Lay one fist on top of the other until you reach the moon, counting the number of fists. After stacking your fists, you will eventually be pointing your arm toward the moon. The moon is smaller than your fist, so when counting the number of fists from the horizon to the moon, it may not be an even number, but will end up part of the way above or below the moon. If this happens, count the number of knuckles from the last fist to the middle of the moon.
- 3
  Add the number of fists and knuckles that you counted from the ground to the moon. Assign a value of 10 for each fist and a value of 2.5 for each of the four knuckles. Each fist is approximately 10 degrees and each knuckle approximately 2.5 degrees. This measurement works as a rough estimate despite the differing sizes of people's fists because, in general, the taller a person is, the longer his arm and the larger his fist. The reverse is true for shorter people. If you counted six fists, the altitude is equal to 60 degrees. This means that the moon is 2/3 of the way to the zenith, or highest point in the sky. Therefore, the moon is 1/3 of the way through its path for the night. If you observed the moon rising at 8 p.m., and you took this calculation at 11 p.m., then the moon should be setting at approximately 5 a.m.

Astronomy