On the full moon of this Friday (21st), which coincides with the winter solstice, the lunistice occurs. In it, the Moon takes a different path than usual
A Full strawberry moon it was visible throughout Brazil in regions where the sky was clear of clouds this Friday (21st). The date also marks the lunistice, an event that “paralyzes” the Moon and occurs once every 18 years (see photos below).
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If you observe the sky in the nights until Sunday (23), you will see a scene that never loses its charm: the Full Moon. This time the event coincides with winter solstice in the southern hemisphere and takes the name “Full Strawberry Moon”, inherited from the populations of the northern hemisphere, due to the strawberry harvesting season in the USA.
Furthermore, the Moon will be at the farthest point of its orbit from the Sun. This is due to the fact that the Moon’s orbit around the Earth (as well as that of the Earth around the Sun) is elliptical. Therefore, there are times when objects are further away from each other.
And the lunar curiosities don’t end there: This year we will also see a “lunar arrest,” also known as lunistice, an event that takes nearly a decade to repeat.
Lunar stop
The June lunar lunistice means that the Moon will travel a path shorter in the sky. However, this difference is observed only in the Northern Hemisphere, where the lunar disk never moves away from the horizon.
Residents of Canada, for example, will observe the Moon travel between the southeast and southwest without exceeding 20° celestial “latitude” (declination). To give you an idea, the Moon will not exceed the height of many buildings, depending on your point of view.
In the far South the opposite will happen: the Moon will also travel from South-East to South-West, but it will rise a lot, positioning itself almost above our heads. This will draw a rather unusual line across the sky.
Notice in the images above that, in the South, the Moon also travels a shorter distance between the start and end of the path, but will form a contour that lengthens the path.
An analogy could be a car trip: while in Canada the driver chose to take a shortcut, in Rio Grande do Sul the driver preferred to visit tourist attractions far from the final destination.
Photo of the Full Moon on the night of “lunar stasis”
Check out some images taken by photographers from around the world below:
DUEL BETWEEN GIANTS: First Full Moon of winter 🌕😍 pic.twitter.com/k5ZNo3ZzkQ
— Mais Brasil (@maisbrasil) June 21, 2024
Check out this photo on Instagram
Full moon seen in Türkiye. — Photo: Emrah Gurel/AP pic.twitter.com/BEiTXigIPW— Oliveira (@Zyb900) June 22, 2024
Check out this photo on Instagram
Check out this photo on Instagram
How lunistics happens
All this happens due to a phenomenon called lunistice, which occurs when the Moon reaches its maximum or minimum declination (celestial coordinate similar to Earth’s latitudes) during a 27-day lunar cycle. As the lunar cycles pass, month after month and year after year, the declination of the Moon varies until it reaches a maximum and a minimum.
These extremes are called major or minor moons, depending on the magnitude of the variation. The last minor moonistice occurred in October 2015, the next one is expected in May 2034. The last major moonistice occurred in June 2006, and the next one will take place today, June 21st.
Even though the date of the largest Moon is today, the Moon will remain large until 2025, exhibiting almost imperceptible variations. If you like the topic, take the opportunity to observe and learn about the different seasonal movements of our natural satellite in the celestial sphere.
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
