More on the nodes [was: Jana-Stations of the Nodes]

[Guest guest]

Dear Thor

I do not think you should really say that the 29.5 day cycle of the Moon

relates more to astrology. It is purely astronomical. When the Moon completes

one orbit the Sun has moved ahead of it by just over two days and the Moon

therefore takes that time to catch up and meet it again.

The first one (27.3 days) can be called the sidereal lunar month, which is

the time taken by the Moon to return to the same position viewed from the Earth

relative to any distant star, and the second (29.5 days) is the synodic month,

when it returns to the same position relative to our sun. To us our Sun

moves, but the suns or stars in the heavens do not (except extrememly minutely)

due to their immense distance. Discounting the tiny movement of the distant

stars we relate the movement to a distant star and to our own star, the Sun and

find we have two types of month. There could be lots of other other types of

month too.

 

This happens with every measurement. There is no absolute standard.

Everything in the heavens is measured by reference to another thing in the

heavens.

So there is a in general use a sideral month and a solar month and a lunar

month and also a civil month, and if you used the planets as well you would get

several more months of different lengths.

Regards

Gordon

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear list,

 

Further to our discussion about true and mean node and the impact of

(true) nodal stations, I share with you an interesting representation

of the Moon´s ecliptic path around our earth. Recall, the nodes

are extreme north and south points on the Moons trajectory. The nodes

are traced along the Moon´s path. The changing speed of the nodes

is due to the visual distortion in viewing these extreme points, when

viewed from the earth - a complex phenomenon, to say the least.

 

http://www.tortuga.com/new/index.html

 

Cheers,

 

Thor

 

 

gjlist, "thorsteinnt" <thorsteinnt> wrote:

> Hello Roik,

>

> "To say that the nodes go retrograde, and station therefore, is to

> imply that the moon changes it's path slightly."

>

> I think there may be a slight misunderstand regarding the concept

of

> retrogression. As I understand it, retrogression has nothing to do

> with the real movement of the planetary bodies. It is a concept

> derived from direct visual observation of the planets. Because the

> heliocentric path of planets appears oblong or elliptic from the

> geocentric viewpoint at certain times, the planets only appear to

> slow down, stop and then go retrograde (before slowing down,

stopping

> and moving forward again). This very same logic applies to the

nodes,

> which are points on the ecliptic.

>

> If you click on the following link, you can see the mean and true

> node. The mean node never goes retrograde, because it is calculated

> in such a way. The true node, however, move as seen on an elliptic

> path.

>

> http://www.jyotishtools.com/images/meantrue2003.gif

>

> From an astrological perspective, the nodal station has repeatedly

> been shown to be a time of considerable stress for those

experiencing

> it in relation to weak or afflicted natal placements. The nodal

> return, if it happens to be stationary and exact, can be a very

> difficult time. In my experience, using the true node is very

> important for accurate prediction.

>

> Take care.

>

> Thor

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear list,

 

Further to the last post I looked into the scientific

information about the rotation of the moon around the earth and

discovered there are two measurements.

 

One is the time it takes for the moon to complete one rotation around

the earth. This is 27,3 days. The other measurement, which relates

more to astrology, is the time it takes for one phase of the moon

(full moon) to complete a cycle to the next such phase (succeeding

full moon). This time is 29,5 days.

 

In the former case, we obtain 13,4 revolutions per standard year

(365,25 days). In the latter case we get 12,4 cyclical phases.

 

As I am not an astronomer, I couldn´t explain this difference.

Perhaps another list member knows this?

 

In any event, to say the moon has 13 orbits in a year is

approximately correct as per the earlier definition, but less correct

for the latter definition.

 

Cheers,

 

Thor

 

 

The moon is the natural satellite of earth. The diameter of earth's

moon is about 3,480 km (about 2,160 mi), or about one-fourth that of

earth, and the moon's volume is about one-fiftieth that of earth. The

mass of earth is 81 times greater than the mass of the moon. Compared

to the earth, the average density of the moon is only three-fifths,

and the gravitational pull at the lunar surface only one-sixth. The

moon has no liquid water and essentially no atmosphere, so no weather

exists to change its surface; yet it is not totally inert.

 

The moon moves about earth at an average distance of 384,403 km

(238,857 mi), and at an average speed of 3,700 km/h (2,300 mph). It

completes one revolution in an elliptical orbit about earth in 27

days 7 hours 43 minutes 11.5 seconds. For the moon to go from one

phase to the next similar phase, or one lunar month, requires 29 days

12 hours 44 minutes 2.8 seconds. The moon rotates once on its axis in

about the same period of time that elapses for its period of

revolution. There are different types of periods. The synodic period

is the interval for a planet or moon to return to the same position

as seen from earth. Sidereal time is based on the apparent motion of

the distant, "fixed" stars across the sky. It has various

astronomical purposes, such as predicting locations of objects in

outer space.

 

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/MarcEpstein.shtml

 

"thorsteinnt" <thorsteinnt>

Fri Mar 5, 2004 8:13 am

More on the nodes [was: Jana-Stations of the Nodes]

 

Dear list,

 

Further to our discussion about true and mean node and the impact of

(true) nodal stations, I share with you an interesting representation

of the Moon´s ecliptic path around our earth. Recall, the nodes

are extreme north and south points on the Moons trajectory. The nodes

are traced along the Moon´s path. The changing speed of the nodes

is due to the visual distortion in viewing these extreme points, when

viewed from the earth - a complex phenomenon, to say the least.

 

http://www.tortuga.com/new/index.html

 

Cheers,

 

Thor

[Guest guest]

Dear Gordon,

 

I meant the full and new moon are more related to (perhaps only

vedic) astrology than the cyclical rotations.

 

I agree, ultimately, they are both astronomical phenomena, as you

point out.

 

Thanks for the additional insights.

 

Cheers,

 

Thor

gjlist, GWBrennan@a... wrote:

> Dear Thor

> I do not think you should really say that the 29.5 day cycle of the

Moon

> relates more to astrology. It is purely astronomical. When the

Moon completes

> one orbit the Sun has moved ahead of it by just over two days and

the Moon

> therefore takes that time to catch up and meet it again.

> The first one (27.3 days) can be called the sidereal lunar month,

which is

> the time taken by the Moon to return to the same position viewed

from the Earth

> relative to any distant star, and the second (29.5 days) is the

synodic month,

> when it returns to the same position relative to our sun. To us

our Sun

> moves, but the suns or stars in the heavens do not (except

extrememly minutely)

> due to their immense distance. Discounting the tiny movement of

the distant

> stars we relate the movement to a distant star and to our own star,

the Sun and

> find we have two types of month. There could be lots of other

other types of

> month too.

>

> This happens with every measurement. There is no absolute

standard.

> Everything in the heavens is measured by reference to another thing

in the heavens.

> So there is a in general use a sideral month and a solar month and

a lunar

> month and also a civil month, and if you used the planets as well

you would get

> several more months of different lengths.

> Regards

> Gordon

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear list,

 

Here is some interesting information about the moon´s speed from

Brian Conrad, developer of Jyotish Tools and Jr. Jyotish, on the

SAMVA list.

 

Cheers,

 

Thor

 

"Brian Conrad" <jjyotish

Fri Mar 5, 2004 5:51 pm

RE: Re: THE MOON AROUND THE EARTH...13 times a year!

 

The Moon's speed varies due to gravitational effects. The astrology

figure is a "mean" rate which is only approximate. The exact rate and

number of times has to be calculated for each year.

 

- Brian