Expert: Philip Stahl - 3/4/2009

Question
I'm having trouble with what may be a simple answer. It seems to me
that the illumnation angle of the moon is tillted some 90 degrees. the
same seems to be for the Big Dipper. I seem to always remember the
cresent Moon as sitting on it's bottom pointy tip, like that depicted in
artwork through milinea. An angle to it sometimes, but I don't ever
remember it on it's back. The Big Dipper always seemed to appear in the
sky as that of a horizontal feature, from the handle to the bottom right
tip of the cup, with a slight angle, it appears in the sky now as turned 90
degrees and sitting on it's (cup'c bottom edge) Could you explain this?
Thanks, I'm beginniong to think the planet is going through a pole shift
in slow motion or something.

Answer
Hello,

From your information I really don't think there is any "pole shift" to worry about. It's probably just that this is the first time you have observed the crescent Moon in this particular aspect, at this time.

A very good exercise to help yourself understand this and other lunar phases, is to do a similar project to what my wife did some 19 years ago. That is, to track the Moon's phases night by night (days too- when visible), and sketch the changes as they occur from your location.

At the end she had about 27 terrific sketches which anyone could use to see the changing aspect of the Moon.

All you really need are drawing pencils, sketch pad and your own vision.

The exercise is well worth it, a million times better than any explanation I could give, and not that big a time investment. About five minutes a night (and hopefully you get a streak of clear skies!)