How can the moon's height above the horizon be predicted?

Question

I know the axis of the Earth determines the height of the moon above the horizon. Can this height be predicted whether the moon will be high in the sky or stay close to the horizon during a bright moon as it tracks from East to West?

Answer 1

You have half of it, or actually about 28/29ths of it, which is Earth's rotation every 24 hours on its own axis. And it that were all there were to it, the moon would stay at the same angular distance from the sun day after day, rising and setting at the same time each day. But the other 1/29th of the equation is the moon's rotation around Earth once every 29.5 days (I'm quoting the synodic period as that's the period for the phases). Dividing 360 degrees by 29.5 days yields the fact that the moon will fall further behind the sun 12.2 degrees per day. In other words, at new moon the moon will will set at the same time as the sun; the next day, you'll see a thin crescent 12.2 degrees above the horizon at sunset. So on and so on for 29.4 days till the next new moon and the start of the cycle all over.

Answer 2

At any given moment there is a point somewhere on the Earth's surface where the Moon is directly overhead. This is called the sublunar point. To work out where it is, you need to work our whereabouts in its orbit the Moon will be at that time. Then to work out where in the sky the Moon is at your location, you work out how far, in degrees, you are round the Earth's surface and in which direction from the sublunar point. The Moon's orbit is at an angle to the Earth's axis, which I've forgotten, but if you know this angle and the position of the Moon in its orbit, working out its position in the sky at your place at a given time with the help of a globe is quite easy.

Answer 3

Hold your hand at arm's length. If you use your right arm, your palm should face to the left. Now, bend your fingers 90 degrees to the left, so you are looking at the palm side of your fingers. Each finger represents 1.5 degrees. Count how many fingers you can fit between the moon and the horizon, then multiply times 1.5. That's how many degrees the moon is from the horizon.

Answer 4

The moon will track nearly the same arch as the sun but it's very complicated depending on the time of day, slant of the moons orbit, season of the year etc. Yes it can be predicted but no I don't know how.