Sun & moon on opposite horizons - how unusual is this?

Question

Only once have I seen the sun touching the western horizon as the moon touched the eastern one. Statistically, is this unusual? Have you ever seen it?

Answer 1

It happens *somewhere* every lunar month. But since the sun moves its own diameter in about 4 minutes, any particular place on Earth would see this only once every 360 lunar months = about once every 29 years, on average. Less often in the far north or south, near the poles.

Answer 2

This is not a common event. Many of the people giving answers are talking about the moon and sun when one or both are high in the sky--which is not unusual. But to see one ON THE HORIZON just setting while the other ON THE HORIZON is just rising is a rare event, though I don't know how rare. Sometimes it ties in with an eclipse of the moon and is called a selenelion eclipse.

Answer 3

saw it once at the beach.... (seems important that there's nothing blocking the horizon, so you can see it fully).... we were watching for comet Kahoutec when it happened.... it's really stunning to see that deep red moon coming up and then turn around and see that deep red sun going down.... the two shadows on the ground was even cooler...add on the red reflection of the moon over the water, too..... just think, if I could have been in the right place, we could have seen a reflect of the sun on the water in the other direction, too..... sigh.....

Answer 4

truthfully, there became right into a blue moon as quickly as, as seen in London and England. A manufacturing facility hearth in Vancouver, Canada kicked up great clouds of sulphur. The moon, while seen from England, became into meditated throughout the time of the sulphur haze and subsequently looked blue. It did no longer truthfully turn the moon itself blue, yet discolored the ambience around the meditated gentle from the moon, giving it a wierd colour.

Answer 5

It happens once a month, at every full Moon.

Answer 6

I've seen it a few times, I believe it occurs multiple times a year.

Answer 7

seems very uncommon.. the earth is so populated i hardly can ever find the horizon unless i drive to the desert. i wish i could see that one day though..

Answer 8

I have seen it many times, it is usual.

Answer 9

Monthly event, not that unusual.

Answer 10

It happens usually.