Back in December, we noted how the inclination of the moon’s orbit resulted in the full moon being positioned very high in the sky. Now, rather than shining high in the sky, on the nights of June 10 and June 11 (and into the early morning hours the next day), the bright moon will reach a maximum height of about 27 degrees above the true horizon — that’s lower than the maximum height of the sun on the winter solstice. The next time the full moon will follow a path this far south will be in the early 2040s.
The moon will reach its peak around 12:43 a.m. on June 11 and 1:37 a.m. on June 12. The moon’s orbit is inclined to the Earth’s by 5.1 degrees. Right now, the low side of the moon’s orbit is almost aligned with where the sun was in December, but the direction of that inclination shifts around the Earth in an approximately 18.6-year period.
Each month, Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory astronomer Eric McLaughlin shares his knowledge of the cosmos. To continue learning, attend one of the observatory’s guided stargazing events. For details, visit ranchomiragelibrary.org/observatory.
