Why does the moon rise at diiferent intervals and not a consistant like the sun?

Question

I read that the sun rising time changes on a fairly consistant 3-4 minute difference, but the moon rises 30 to 70 minutes different each morning. Why the 30 to 70 minute difference?

Answer 1

The Moon orbits the Earth in 27.3 days. That means the Moon moves about 13.2 degrees per day.

The Earth rotates about 361 degrees per day (the extra degree is because the Earth has moved almost 1 degree in its own orbit around the Sun).

That's a net change of about 12.2 degrees, before you even begin to toss in variations due to the Moon's orbital plane varying from 18 degrees to 28 degrees.

The Earth rotates about 15 degrees per hour. That means it takes an additional 4/5 of an hour to catch up to the Moon's movement over the past day.

The Moon's orbital plane being offset from the Sun's orbital plane by about 5 degrees adds or subtracts from that variation, making the Moon's rise/set times vary even more than the Sun's.

Answer 2

the moon rotates around earth in 30 days or so... 24h/30days=50minutes per day... 30 to 70 minutes isn't impressive.

now, 70-30=40minutes ... that is impressive! and that comes from the nature of the moon's orbit : it goes around earth in a circle that is at an angle of about 5° relative to the ecpliptic plane. that is, relative to the plane in which earth rotates around the sun, and not the plane in which earth revolves on itself... And THAT is what makes it such a huge variation between 30 and 70 minutes... because it makes the moon's orbit go from 18° to 28° of inclination relative to earth's rotation plane. and that's what's important for predicting the time of moon rise.

Answer 3

The sun's rising and setting times depend on the tilt of the earth's axis and the latitude of the observer. The moon orbits the earth every 27.3 days, so its position relative to the earth and sun is always changing.

Answer 4

Different path of revolution, it also is affected by Earth's gravity and because it is much smaller, even a smaller gravitational pull can throw it out of kilter.

Answer 5

Good question...got my head twising..im gonna look up!!!