Where did the moon go?

Question

Me and my dad were absolutely puzzled by this. We live in PA (eastern time) and at 1:00 AM we saw the moon (about a quarter moon) setting over the horizon opposite where it comes up. Then gone!

This is a weekend, but normally during the week every morning at 7:00 AM I can see the moon roughly in this same spot.
In summary, the moon set below the horizon 6 hours before it did yesterday, and every day the last few weeks since the time change! And it is a 100% clear, cold night. Despite the clear skies, it is incredibly dark.

Never saw anything like this. Now, over an hour later, I'm standing outside just to make sure that it was in fact the moon that we saw set, and sure enough, there is no hint of the moon in the sky and it is still a good 5 hours until daybreak (when we normally see the moon setting).

I checked todays date on some lunar calenders. Nothing is happening, just a normal roughly quarter moon.

Answers anyone? Date is the early morning of Apr. 22, 2007.

Answer 1

Mark D is partially wrong. The moon doesn't rise and set at the same time every day. Each day it rises and sets approximately one hour later than it did the day before. This number can be as small as 40 mins or larger up to 80 mins depending on various factors. Tomorrow night the moon will set later than it did tonight.

A full moon rises around sunset and sets at sunrise. A new moon rises and sets with the sun. Half moons rise and set around midnight and noon (1st quarter rises at noon, sets at midnight, 3rd quarter is opposite).

Answer 2

The Moon set, as it does every day. It sets (and rises) at a different time each day because of its movement around the Earth, roughly an hour later each day. You're mistaken in thinking that the Moon is always in the same place every morning...careful observation will show this to be wrong.

Answer 3

once you seem on the completed Moon, you observe a tiny bit more beneficial than 40 9% of it (50% is the theoretical reduce in case you concentration on the area too large to be a element). If 2 (or 3) human beings word the Moon jointly, yet from very different positions on the earth's floor, they could see (putting their pictures mutually) somewhat over fifty 2%. via evaluation, a third is in straightforward words 33%. With libration, over lengthy sessions of time, we can see in basic terms about 60% of the Moon's entire floor. even as the Moon seem "0.5" lit, we call the section "Quarter Moon" because this happens even as the Moon is 1 / 4 of ways round its orbit.

Answer 4

Maybe what you saw was a lunar eclipse. Don't worry, the moon is still there. I think I know what you're talking about though. The moon was kind of reddish and low on the horizon. I saw it too. The moon doesn't stay in the same spot everyday, and the calendars aren't always accurate, except for the moon phases. Check Space.com to see if there was supposed to be lunar eclipse tonight.

Answer 5

I am sure it was not a lunar eclipse as it was quarter moon because lunar eclipse occurs only during full moon nights. May be there were black clouds in the sky and it must have covered the moon. One more possiblity is that you were dreaming (it was 1:00AM) LOL

I am sure it was nothing unusual

Answer 6

Just because it is crystal clear, It certainly doesn't mean there are not clouds off on the horizon. You cannot see the clouds there like you can during the day.
To further illustrate my point...Take any crystal clear day in PA (from NE PA). Look off to the horizon in just about any direction, and you will often see clouds.

Answer 7

The moon rise and set are not on as near of a 24 hour cycle like the sun rise and sun set. The cycle is shorter. Therefore by midnight tomorrow you will not see the moon. Don't worry you didn't loose it, it will be back earlier tomorrow evening.
check this site
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html

Answer 8

1AM. That's about when the bars closed, isn't it?