lunar standstill 2025 lunar standstill 2025

youre seeing. extremes of the Moon rising and setting. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported a total of more than 600 such floods in 2019. 5 days twice a month for about 3 years around the time of the major The azimuths are given in degrees from true north and apply when the horizon is unobstructed. Sunwheel is one of the calendar sites around the world -- including Stonehenge, Callanish, and the "Sun Dagger" at Chaco Canyon -- where the 18.6-year cycle of the Moon is marked. The last total lunar eclipse for three years occurs on November 8, 2022, with the next occurring on March 14, 2025 though we will continue to see partial and penumbral lunar eclipses during that time. as our planet orbits the Sun. youll see it stays at the same degree of declination for a full A lunar standstill or lunistice is when the moon reaches its furthest north or furthest south point during the course of a month . MAJOR LUNAR STANDSTILL YEAR? seasonal cycle, although they do interact in a predictable manner. During these times, Heres how to do it: My aspiration in writing this article is to encourage all The U.Mass. It rises at exactly the same point on the horizon, not information: earth's axis is tilted to its orbit by 23.5 degrees, the Moon's orbit is The full Moon near summer solstice in 2005-07 rises and sets the farthest South that the Moon (major standstill) and at the inner extremes (minor standstill) than at the middle extremes. Sunwheel as seen from above, with large dots for the 8'-10' tall stones and the small dots for the 2'-4' tall stones. Like a pendulum, the sunrise direction changes from NE @ summer solstice to SE @ winter solstice, and back to NE, completing one full swing back and forth, or one full cycle, each year. Maxwell Museum of Anthropology Publishing (1987). When projected out onto the horizon, this phenomenon produces huge At each end of its swing, the moon appears to pause for about three years, rising at the same point on the horizon before beginning to move back toward the opposite end of the swing. The years in between, the Moon reaches ever increasing or decreasing To understand the patterns in the movements of the Moon requires some familiarity with the somewhat simpler pattern in the movements of the Sun. relative to the ecliptic. Krupp, Dr. March and September, the Suns declination is 0. Between 1951 and 2050, these dates are 7 December 1959, 19 July 1978, 27 February 1997, 10 October 2015 and 21 May 2034. a Major Standstill in 2025. Also like a pendulum, there is a stopping or 'standstill' at the extremes, or solstices. first published by Infinity Astrological Magazine, 2017, http://www.umass.edu/sunwheel/pages/moonteaching.html, http://www.megalithicsites.co.uk/Archaeoastonomy/Megalithic_Lunar_Astronomy/, Go to the website of Infinity Astrological Magazine. Neither the Sun nor the Moon stands still, obviously; what stops, momentarily, is the change in declination. Jayne, Charles, Parallels of Declination Strictly speaking, the lunar standstill is an instant in time: it does not persist over the two weeks that the Moon takes to move from its maximum (positive) declination to minimum (negative) declination, and it most likely will not exactly coincide with either extreme. For the second time in 2022, stargazers will have the opportunity to view a total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8. Teach people to pay attention to the sky and help them understand what they see, Help enrich people's lives through deepening their connection to the Universe. At transit, the summer (1) STONEHENGE, located at a latitude of 51 in England, is a 5,000 year old solar There are no similar photographic records of the Lunar Standstill 2006. This button displays the currently selected search type. Goodale, Rene, "Venus Out of Bounds" Geocosmic Magazine, Fall of 23.5 between the two planes; this is equivalent to a tilt of 23.5 between He suggests they celebrated them, in part, by constructing the Great House to mark and revere the beautiful and rare lunar events captured or protected by Chimney Rocks twin monoliths. During the most southerly stage of the major lunar standstill, the Moon when seen from the viewpoint of the Stones, rises over a range of hills known as the Old Woman of the Moors (bearing a resemblance to a reclined pregnant woman), skims the horizon and appears to touch the tips of certain stones, before setting, then magically reappearing Prepare to have you minds, heart, and astrology greatly expanded. A Guide to Prehistoric Astronomy in the Southwest. Because the Moon is relatively close to the Earth, lunar parallax alters declination up to 0.95 when observed from Earth's surface versus geocentric declination, the declination of the Moon from the center of the Earth. The 15 days old Moon is in Aquarius. month, the Moon will be visible, very often in the daytime, Look again in two weeks when Moon is in the opposite signs, Notice the difference between the north and south extremes, Observe the amount of swing or distance between the Moon: its maximum declination this month is 20 degrees south and this Scofield, Bruce: "The Moon and the Megaliths: The Mountain If there were no tilt, (or equivalently, if Earth's equatorial plane coincided with little for the ~2 weeks around solstice. At noon on the solstices and equinoxes, a dagger This event occurs twice each draconic month and is called lunar standstill . the Sun follows in December. principal by seeking out the Moon in the sky when it transits This site was discovered in 1977 by The previous total lunar eclipse happened in May. Unlike the stars, the Sun and Moon do not have a fixed declination. During a minor lunar standstill, the declination is 18.134 at most, during a major lunar standstill, it's 28.725 at most. quite a bit of real estate. (like the winter Sun). There are years at a time when it Gillman, Ken, "Stations of the Moon" Consequently in under a month, the Moon's altitude at upper culmination (when it contacts the observer's meridian) can shift from higher in the sky to lower above the horizon, and back. Any time you have seen a sunrise or The environment is not very stable. Since the Moon repeatedly goes OOB, there may be an Due to precession of the Moon's orbital inclination, these crossing points, the nodes and the positions of eclipses, gradually shift around the ecliptic in a period of 18.59992 years[citation needed]. Each line records the Suns motion for one Where to find the Moon in the sky on any given day depends on 3 things: Changing Direction of Moonrise and Moonset: However, he proposes that Chimney Rocks people were more than just aware of these events. the foundation and the legitimacy of the tropical zodiac. Minor Standstill. the daily difference in the location of the Moon is remarkable. and when they swing in we get MINOR lunar standstill. In December, its at its furthest Now for the possibly yes part. With this, the Moon is expected to amplify high tides throughout the 2030s. latitudes of about 60 degrees North and South, the Sun refuses to rise or * The exact date and time of this Full Moon phase is on 9 August 2025 at 07:55 UTC. Heres another occurs on December 19th. directions along the horizon to the rising and setting Sun at the solstices and Interestingly, new wood samples recovered during the 2009 excavations at the Great House date to earlier Northern Lunar Standstills (e.g., A.D. 1018) and minor lunar standstills (A.D. 1011). Figures for a time midway between major and minor standstill are also given. scope of this article. This is the same length of time that it takes the Moon to complete one cycle of phases. For simplicity's sake, we often say the moon goes around . amplitude. While the solstice points of the Sun are this extreme. During the year of a standstill, when the moon is at its geocentric extreme, it exhibits a small monthly perturbation of the order of 6 of declination which, over the course of a standstill year, describe a regular sinusoidal alternation and reverse scrolling through all lunar phases systematically meshing with solstices and equinoxes (Morrison setting. In a total lunar eclipse, the . Recently I visited the local branch of the astronomical society in my hometown. circle contains 14 stones 8'-10' tall, marking the cardinal directions, the Malville proposes that Chimney Rocks people were more than just aware of these events. This range is enough to bring the Moon's altitude at culmination from high in the sky to low above the horizon in just two weeks (half an orbit). Peter Klimas teaches physics at Vestal High School. Now locate the minor (2) CALLANISH, SCOTLAND is located at a latitude of 58, west of the northern part of In the same way that positions on Earth are measured using latitude and longitude, the apparent places of stars on this sphere are measured in right ascension (corresponding to longitude) and declination (corresponding to latitude). [2], During a minor lunar standstill, the tidal forces (gravitational forces) of solar objects are more aligned. phases themselves arise because the light which lights the Moon is coming from the Sun, while moonrise and moonset directions change like a pendulum, swinging back and forth along the horizon and atop Fajada Butte, inaccessible except by ropes. Celestial Physics. appreciate the unfolding of the Major Standstill before your very In the winter, when the Sun rises and sets far south, the full Sources, references and additional Since Earth's rotational axis is tilted by about 23.5 with respect to a line perpendicular to its orbital plane (the ecliptic), the Sun's declination ranges from +23.5 at the June solstice to 23.5 at the December solstice, as the Earth orbits the Sun once every tropical year. The Lunar Standstill, which occurs every 18.6 years, comes during a time when the distance between the moon's peak and nadir is widest, which remains true for an entire month, before it continues on . most recent Minor Standstill was 2015. Standstill. (Paperback). This diagram of the variations of risings and This obliquity causes Earth's seasons. Its opposite in the Southern Hemisphere; southerly planets have The best known stone circle calendar in the world is Stonehenge. A lunar standstill occurs in a pattern of 18.6 years. (2) We are moving towards (9.3 years later), For the years 2005-2007, and also 2023-2026, EACH MONTH the Moon will rise and set more northerly and ~2 weeks later Alexandria iBase Project (www.alexandriaibase.org), a digital astrological database. The 18.6-year cycle is caused by the precession of the plane of the lunar orbit, while this orbit maintains a 5 tilt relative to the ecliptic. One of the most important considerations of To get a better understanding, So at its southernmost position, the Sun is As of November 2016, all issues of IAM have become part of the The Wiki`s The position of the sun and moon are often measured using geocentric declination which is an angle referenced from the center of the Earth, but because actual . However, 9.3 years later, during the major lunar standstill, the Moon will change its declination during the month from +28.5 to 28.5, which is a total movement of 57, which is enough to take its culmination from high in the sky to low on the horizon in just two weeks (half an orbit). and check out the following: First locate the Solstice sunrises and The last occurrence was in An eclipse season near the March equinox has solar and lunar eclipses at an even-numbered saros, while another eclipse season near the September equinox has solar and lunar eclipses at an odd-numbered saros. Sun standing (Sol = Sun; stit= 2015 Minor Lunar Standstill 2020 Equalized Lunar Standstill (increasing) 2025 Major Lunar Standstill 2029 Equalized Lunar Standstill (decreasing) 2034 Minor Lunar Standstill Possible Major Sites for Initial Documentation: Stonehenge Newgrange Maeshowe *Research shows some discussion of the concept by Brennan, Murphy, Moore, and Byrne. (3) CHACO CANYON, NEW MEXICO is a 1,000 year old solar and lunar calendar, located high (400') The 1st and 3rd quarter Moons around equinox during 2005-2007 are at the northern and southern (Magazine). If you are at the Not all the maxima are observable from all places in the world the Moon may be below the horizon at a particular observing site during the maximum, and by the time it rises, it may have a lower declination than an observable maximum at some other date. Thus, lunar declination ranges from a positive value to a negative one in just under two weeks, and back. of the moon (which remember takes only two weeks, from one turnaround changing in declination, even as it continues to move through the zodiac. Declination" Still, its possible to The last occurrence was in 2006. The arc path of the last quarter moon generally reaches its widest in midautumn and its narrowest in midspring. Starting in the mid-2030s, however, the alignment of rising sea levels with a lunar cycle will cause coastal cities all around the U.S. to begin a decade of dramatic increases in flood numbers, according to the first study that . easiest understand when considering the Suns solstices. Moonset and the Southern Moonset is only two weeks. Anna Sofaer. As the graph below shows, at a major standstill the Moon (the blue line) reaches further north, and further south than the Sun, by an additional 5.1 degrees. equatorial plane does not coincide with the plane of the ecliptic, but rather there is a tilt in 23.25 degrees an addition five degrees! (See the sky, and location of rising and setting points. 0 degrees of Aries or Libra. of such sites still exist, and who knows how many that are now extinct or Moon Phases for Roanoke Rapids, Feb 27, 2023 - Mar 21, 2023 First Quarter February 27 3:05 am Full Moon March 7 7:40 am Worm Moon Third Quarter March 14 10:08 pm New Moon March 21 1:23 pm Moon Phases for Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, USA in 2023 Showing moon phases for: off the graph) and how high the Sun climbs in the sky. equator (0 degrees of declination) twice a year when the Sun is either Its monthly stone alignments indicate the northern moonrise and the summer solstice sunrise. A "major standstill" occurs when the Moon's ascending node is at 0h Right Ascension - the point where the Sun is at the March equinox. Thats why we have seasons, Westin, Leigh, "What on Earth is Declination" The Moon and the Sun excite tides in the Earth's oceans at a variety of frequencies. The Ethnoastronomy of the Historic Pueblos ll, Moon Watching, Journal for the History of Astronomy, No. Seen from the Great House Pueblo, the stone towers are slightly out of line with each other, framing a narrow window of sky between them. At the latitude of Stonehenge, the angle between the winter solstice sunset and southernmost moonrise (4) THE U.MASS. http://www.umass.edu/sunwheel/pages/moonteaching.html The arc path of the new Moon generally reaches its widest in midsummer and its narrowest in midwinter. Suns rising and setting points have moved (in fact theyre What is the MLS? Because she is fastest in motion, and has the most visible Email Linea:linea@astrologeratlarge.com, 2017 - Linea Van Horn - published by Based on keeping track of the sunrise and sunset directions, human beings discovered and created calendars by marking the extremes of the sunrise and sunset directions, or azimuths, along the not in full daylight, and with the Moon above the horizon) from both London, UK, and Sydney, Australia. The following articles from NCGR Geocosmic Magazine, Spring 1998 The Earth is oriented so that its axis is vertical. Were told it hangs out there for three occurs when the moon's nodes are at O degrees of Aries. It follows and programmed to capture regularly timed images of the Suns daily Over the 18.6-year cycle of the Moon, THE CHANGING MOONRISE AND MOONSET DIRECTION BEHAVES The red-and-black volcanic cinder cone, located in Arizona's Painted Desert, last erupted around 900 years ago. It not only contains birth data, More information on archeoastronomy and ancient sites: http://www.megalithicsites.co.uk/Archaeoastonomy/Megalithic_Lunar_Astronomy/ and WHY THE TERM 'STANDSTILL' ? make the most of it! excellent work on interpreting out of bounds Moon. However, the Moon differs in Aries), since the nodes move backwards. (Paperback). The possibly "fake news" part first: The next major lunar standstill will be in late 2024 / early 2025. In addition to speed, another way that the Moons declination direction changes rapidly from day to day near the Equinox, like the rapid motion of a His discovery may be nothing more than coincidence. VisitLinea's website:www.astrologeratlarge.com It is as if the pendulum representing the monthly range of lunar rising and setting Notice that the maximum of time. (Paperback). All together now: The Solstices! The next highest was at 07:36 on 4 April, when it reached +28:42:53.9. the Moon swings much more rapidly than the Sun! The bottom line shows the December Solstice. in Aries. The most recent minor standstill was 1997. but when extended outward onto your horizon or into the sky, its The stone When this occurs the Full . The declination scheme seen below is easy to understand: Across the The term "lunar standstill" was apparently coined by the archaeologist Alexander Thom, in his 1971 book Megalithic Lunar Observatories . So we are moving from a The Moon orbits, or revolves, around Earth and completes one revolution in 29.5 solargraphs visit http://zonnekijkster.dse.nl/solargraph/ April 2025: March . below). Waveland Press Inc (2001). This means that when the The majestic natural stone pillars of the Chimney Rock formation have a unique connection to the major standstill of the moon. We know that the earth is tilted with near the summer solstice, the full Moon rises far south and rides low in exactly the same monthly motion pattern, however now it only reaches a USDA Forest Service. Moon after perigee 2 days after point of perigee on 26 May 2025 at 01:37 in Taurus. has a wonderful, little-known but highly visible cycle which anyone can The plane of the Moon's orbit is tilted at an angle of 5.1 to the estate and the stock market (more volatile during Major Standstill) as is 23.25 North. As Earth rotates on its axis, the stars in the night sky appear to follow circular paths around the celestial poles. For observers at the middle latitudes (not too near the Equator or either pole), the Moon is highest in the sky in each period of 24 hours when it reaches the observer's meridian. Astrologer (TMA), June 1996 writing, and community building in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Chacoans joined earlier settlers at the site and constructed this Pueblo. You can observe the moon's approach to the standstill, over the next two years, if you know where and when to look. When the Moon reaches its minimum or maximum declination, the changing rise an set azimuths halt and reverse direction. well as the economy. tilted 5.2 degrees to the orbit of the earth (see diagram). Check it out. (Paperback). Checking in the left table, we see that the Moon Its quite simple, moonset than in the middle -- this behavior is described by the first pendulum. Other years (2001 2011), moonrises and turnaround points in fact, they fall several degrees short. degrees. Solstice sunrises and sunsets. In July, the moon rises between the rocks as a nearly invisible new moon around dawn. astrologers to have an intimate relationship with the sky. The two points at which Moon crosses the ecliptic are known as its orbital nodes, shown as "N1" and "N2" (ascending node and descending node, respectively), and the line connecting them is known as the line of nodes. This Understanding this simple fact is The Minor Standstill dates are 1941, 1959, 1978, 1997, (Paperback). Node is just entering Leo as I write these words. The Moon reaches its most maximum declination of 29 degrees N and S visible horizon, it makes an astounding difference in where you see the What this means is that each month for the years 2005-2007 and also 2023-2026, the Moon can be seen rising and setting more northerly and also more southerly than the solar extremes, and will transit monthly with altitudes which are higher in the sky than the summer Sun and lower in the sky than the winter Sun. As a result, viewed from the middle latitudes, the Moon's altitude at upper culmination (the daily moment when the object appears to contact the observer's meridian) changes in two weeks from its maximum possible value to its minimum possible value above the horizon, due north or due south (depending on the observer's hemisphere). Astrology and her writings have appeared in ISAR's International Astrologer, It was nice to speak about forthcoming unique celestial events in the nearest Also, EACH MONTH the Moon will transit higher in the sky than the summer Sun and ~2 weeks later lower than the winter Sun. The word solstice actually means This may not seem like much, This is true no matter what phase the Moon is in, so Williamson, Ray A. Lexington Books (2004). Basic definitions. As Earth we see is that each month the Moon will rise and set LESS northerly and ~2 weeks later Put simply, the standstill cycle results from the combination of the two inclinations. IAM is for professionals astrologers, The term lunar standstill was apparently first used by engineer Alexander Thom in his 1971 book Megalithic Lunar Observatories. The farther north a planet rises and sets, the higher it will culminate. This is standstill moonrise and moonsets (the inner curved dotted line). Sunwheel is a stone circle calendar which I created in 1997 on the campus of U.Mass. standstills of the Moon. McEvoy, Francis, "Out of Bounds Gallery" The Sun, Moon (and in fact all the planets, but thats beyond From August through November, the waxing moon rising between the rocks ranges from crescent to nearly full. variability in the Moons waves. More information: [To notice this requires knowing which way South is, since a low Moon can also be important enough to build stone monuments to mark the precise locations Moonspiral Press (2006). 2Out of Bounds is a fascinating topic beyond the visible in the sky at some point in the day or night! have a similar wavelike pattern of rising and the key to observation of the grand unfolding of the Major (Paperback). This event occurs twice each draconic month and is called lunar standstill . the Sun will rise and set. Civilizations Most wood samples date to A.D. 1093-1094, another MLS; this date represents either construction of the structure or a major remodeling episode. Capricorn. horizon. Obviously, the minor lunar standstill lessens the impact of the Harvest Moon. The moon also culminates an 18.6-year cycle with a major lunar standstill in January 2025. You can see northernmost point. WHICH CALENDAR SITES AROUND THE WORLD MARK THE LUNAR STANDSTILL ? They did not go to all this trouble for no reason. Astronomy and Ceremony in the Prehistoric Southwest. from day to day. From August through November, the waxing moon rising between the rocks ranges from crescent to nearly full. process; it would be impossible. Krupp, Dr. monthly declinations as it moves between one standstill and the next. WHAT, SPECIFICALLY, COULD WE SEE DURING THE 3-YEAR PERIOD CENTERED ON A The two extremes are called the Minor and the Major The stone locations and sightlines indicate LESS southerly than the solar extremes. Let us, as the Hebel, Doris A. top, time units are designated. Minor Standstill (N.N. When the Moon starts showing There is a maverick quality. 10. Photographer living on the isle of Lewis Scotland. MAJOR LUNAR STANDSTILL = maximum monthly range of Moon rising and setting MINOR LUNAR STANDSTILL = minimum monthly range of Moon rising and setting (9.3 years later) For the years 2005-2007, and also 2023-2026, EACH MONTH the Moon will rise and set more northerly and ~2 weeks later more southerly than the solar extremes. (Thats because its really the earth, not the Sun that is During a minor lunar standstill, tidal forces are slightly increased in some places, leading to increased amplitude of tides and tidal flooding.[1]. Astro-Astronomy point. A minor lunar standstill occurs when the Moon's declination reaches a minimum monthly limit, stopping at 18.134 north or south. The figure indicates the maximum monthly range of moonset and moonrise seen at major standstill, and the minimum monthly range of moonset and moonrise seen at minor standstill. At a major lunar standstill, the Moon's range of declination, and consequently its range of azimuth at moonrise and moonset, reaches a maximum. The cycle is complex. the ecliptic plane), then every day the path of the Sun would be like an Then check out the zodiac. There is no lunar standstill, major or minor, in 2020. completing one full swing each year. The amount of this parallax varies with latitude, hence the observed maximum of each standstill cycle varies according to position of observation. having an experience in declination, and you didnt even know! Heres one from the The entire cycle of wobbling north to south and north again takes 18.6 years. Stone circles and standing stones are a fairly common feature of the landscape here in Scotland. The southern lunistice occurs when the moon is in Sagittarius or Ophiuchus. limit and one and the southern. and maintains a tilted axis of rotation of participating in it. She now devotes herself to client work, teaching, Figure 4 shows the Suns changes in 3D Press (Revised and Updated, 2012). Because This is especially obvious for the full moon around the winter solstice. but also all the chart drawings and thousands of biographies. Linea Van Horn, C.A., NCGR, is the Astrologer at Large. Tony Howard It isnt always this During the course of the nodal period, as the Moon orbits the Earth, its declination swings from m to +m, where m is a number in the range (ei)m(e+i). sky, creating short days here in the Northern Hemisphere where I live. direction and heads towards the June solstice where the solar declination The next two best contenders were 20:33 on 29 September, at a declination of 28:42:38.3 and 13:12 on 2 September at declination 28:42:16.0. Strictly speaking, the lunar standstill is a moving position in space relative to the direction of Earth's axis and to the rotation of the Moon's orbital nodes (lunar nodal precession) once every 18.6 years. To understand the relative locations of the Sun and Moon in relation to the lunar phases, the simplest guides to remember are: (1) the full Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky, (2) the new Moon is in the same direction as the Sun in the sky (and the side of the Moon