Why is The Earth seen from The moon lying on its side?

Question

As the Earth rotates around its poles, the areas of darkness go from East to West around The Earth, not North to South as it appears in Images of The Earth from The moon released by Nasa.

Read the question people. I know the earth rotates around its poles. i am asking a question about images of the earth taking on the moon during Nasa`s moon landings.

Randy I accept what you say about areas of darkness. however if the moon and the earth are at 90 degrees to each other, how come on a clear night the moon is shining from North pole to South pole?

i wouldn`t say confused, I would say not properly educated in these matters. It is up to the likes of Nasa to make sure these points are being passed on in our educational system. Sadly for the vast majotrity of people who don`t do Physics in school, this information passes us by.

Answer 1

The famous "Earthrise" photograph was taken in December 1968 from near the moon's equator. If you think of the moon's equator as its "middle", then imagine an astronaut there - he would be looking at us sideways! That explains why the Earth looks like lying on its side when that photograph is viewed with the moon's surface being horizontal.

But the photograph doesn't need to be viewed that way! Indeed, the original photograph was taken with the camera turned so that north is up and south is down, and the earth then looks "the right way up." Here's that photograph:

http://www.abc.net.au/science/moon/earthrise.htm

Answer 2

Well, for the same reason that the moon appears to lie on it's side when rising or setting. Imagine standing on the moon, somewhere north or south of the lunar equator (but not at a pole), and at a point where you can see the earth.

If you point toward the earth and then move your arm in an arc toward the north pole, that imaginary arc will be sub-parallel to the earth's axis. And, that arc is tilted in your sky, so since the terminator (the "line" between dark and light) of the earth is subparallel to your arc, it too will be tilted in your sky.

It is exactly the way the moon appears in our sky. When it is rising or setting the terminator of the moon will be tilted as seen from most parts of the earth. Only when it is on your meridian will the terminator of the moon be straight up and down.

Answer 3

No, the line separating the night from the day does run North to South, NOT East to West as you said. Think about it for a moment. If it is nightfall in New York, it is also nightfall at the same time in Key West Florida. Think about it.

The Earth appears to be lying on its side because the sunlight side of the moon is at either at the 3 o'clock or the 9 o'clock position in its orbit around the Earth (if you assume that the sun is at the 12 o'clock).

Draw the Earth, Sun, and moon on a sheet of paper, and it should be obvious to you.

In other words, the Earth is NOT on its side, the photo has been tilted sideways in order to make the surface of the moon appear at the bottom of the photo; you can rotate the photo 90 degrees to get the proper perspective if it makes you fell better.

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During a full moon, the sunlight surface of the Moon faces the Earth (and it also is facing the sun at the same time). During this time, the astronut would only see the dark side of the Earth, and it would appear to be directly overhead (if he saw anything at all).

If there is a half moon, then only a part (about half) of the sunlit side of the moon is facing the Earth. If the astronaut is on the part of the moon that is directly under the sun at that point, then the Earth should be on his left (or right) near the lunar horizon, so the Earth would appear to be on its side -- since the lit part of the Earth is facing the sun (which is directly above you) -- when from the Earth's perspective, it is the astronaut who is on his side. There is no up or down in space.

In order to see a full Earth, one would have to be on the moon during the time that it was on the sunward side of the Earth, and this would mean that the astrounts would be on the dark side of the moon. NASA would not have allowed that, since walkin on the moon in the dark would have been dangerous.

Answer 4

Because the photographs are taken from near the equator of the Moon when the Earth was seen near the lunar horizon. The Moon looks the same way as seen from Earth, if you are not too far north or south of the equator. In about two and a half weeks there will be a half Moon setting near midnight. Look at it then and you will see a similar sideways look to it.

Answer 5

The reason why the areas of darkness go from east to west is because the earth rotates in more in that direction. Remember that the sun shines from east the west.

If the darkness were to go north to south, then the earth would be rotating on it's equator (or will be called the 'new poles'?). Like Uranus for an example.

Answer 6

You like most people are confused because you cannot think three-dimensionally.

If you lived on the Equator, you would often see the half moon “on its side” like the picture of Earth from the moon.

I live in the Southern Hemisphere and we see the moon upside down to you up there.

It’s as simple as that. We live on a sphere. We all stand at different angles to each other depending on what latitude we live in. That alters the way we see the moon.

The same on the moon. If you are near the Equator, the Earth will not be seen N to S.

Answer 7

I even have often observed that the moon comes up at diverse situations and is not any longer as predictable using fact the sunlight. i'm specific that's to those people who incredibly study and log the orbit of the moon, yet using fact the moon is orbiting us, it is not any longer on the comparable evening/day cycle using fact the sunlight. I even have observed the moon bobbing up whilst the sunlight remains happening or any incorrect way around. My husband and that i've got sat out on our deck late at evening and watched for the moon. some nights that's above us straight away and a few nights later, it style of feels to be constantly till now we see it. i assume on the nights it takes constantly to get to us, those are the situations whilst the different component to the worldwide can see the moon and sunlight on the comparable time. And as quickly as we can nonetheless see the moon in basic terms after daylight hours or suitable till now dusk, those are the situations whilst the different component to the worldwide has to attend constantly to work out it. there is likewise a quick time in the process the month once you do no longer see the moon in any respect. The "darkish of the moon" is whilst the area of the moon prevents the reflective gentle of the sunlight from hitting it throughout the time of our evening and you does no longer see the moon in any respect throughout the time of those nights. you are able to usually discover "lunar calendars" that instruct whilst the moon would be in each and every quarter. (finished, one million/2, quarter, darkish.)

Answer 8

Last time I checked, NASA has nothing to do with public education in this country. That said, yeah, teaching science in this country is turning into a lost art. It boggles me the basic physical concepts and laws of nature that so many people just have no clue of.

As for your answer, campbelp already said it the best, as he always does. And, yeah, shame on our school system for not teaching you about lunar equatorial orbits and their visual effect on Earth rising/setting.

Answer 9

campbelp 2002 is right.
I worked in Central America near the Earths equator and at moonset the moon tilts down to look like the Earth pictures you saw taken from the moon.
The further away from the equator you are, the later the moon will appear to tilt, so it's not so apparent from the UK

Answer 10

But isn't that the way the earth rotates?? That's surely why we experience the sun going up in the East and down in the West. Or am I missing something here.