Moon phase

[firstlight]

Hmmm... I've just noticed the moon phase java to the left. It SAYS waxing gibbous, and it IS waxing gibbous, but it appears to be displaying wanning gibbous.... in the northern hemisphere.

What think you?

Tony

[mojo]

You know, now that you mention it, I do think i've put that moon back to front. Have I?

EDIT: yeah ok, it was mirrored. :doh: Do I look like an astronomer? :D 400+ astronomers and nobody else noticed that the moon was back to front?

[Orion]

We just didn't want to upset you. :lol: :thumbsup:

[RAJAH235]

Some of us just didn't want to appear to complain about it, mojo! :P :thumbsup: :D L.

[davidpretorius]

i am still coming to terms with looking at all the neighbours upside down late at night doing the wild thing! let alone working out if the moon is upside down or inside out!

[h0ughy]

I thought it was just one of those things that you just accept becuase some northern hemisphere person forgot the rest of the world

[slice of heaven]

Why cant the moon be the way we see it in the Southern Hemisphere?
As per this site

http://home.mira.net/~reynella/skywatch/ssky.htm

Seems strange to have to view it the way it is in the Northen hemisphere.
You must have had it right the first time Mojo, it bugs me seeing it the way it is now.

[RapidEye]

Easy now :P

I never complained 'cause it looks right to me :thumbsup:

[mojo]

It was very wrong before. It was mirrored horizontally. For a southern view it should be rotated 180deg.

But that's what I say! I'm no an astronomer, so i can only technically get it right with formulas (eg. rise/set times). I don't know what the general concensus is for this astro 'stuff'.
But I have mentioned to *someone* that it should be upside down for us, but he said that's the way the moon is displayed. :poke: I leave it to more knowledgable people than me to tell me what they want to do with this astronomy information.

[slice of heaven]

You are absolutely 100% correct Mojo, for a southern view it should be rotated 180deg.
Moon phases are normally shown as from a northern hemisphere aspect (eg calenders) but showing the phases as images for people such as us that want to actually view it, and not use it to just plant peas, I cant see why it cant be orientated correctly to show our view.
We dont fit devices to our drain holes to correct the spin of water to match the northern hemisphere :)

[firstlight]

Hmmm.... sorry for the kerfuffle, I just looked at the Moon and it felt wrong.

If you can flip the Moon horizontally, can you flip it vertically? This would display the Moon as from the South. Of course the illumination comes from the right as the northerners see it (not very keen on the northern bias).

Sorry if I poked where I shouldn't:ashamed:

[mojo]

If you like i can display it as we see it, from the south. So a waxing moon gets lit from the left. I can also rotate the polar axis at it's current angle as well. I don't mind. Up to all you groovy astronomers to tell me what you want to see.

[Thiink]

Service with a smile, thats what we like to see!

Should those that didn't notice it feel bad.. ?

[mojo]

Nah. It's just one of those things. It's like noticing which way the queen faces on a 20c coin.

[ving]

we know how sensitive you are and didnt want to upset you! :D
:poke:

[[1ponders]]

Hey it looks right to me now :D

[fringe_dweller]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :P

Long as its the 'wabbit* in the Moon' and not the 'man** in the Moon', thats all that counts Mojo :D

*(hare/bilby)
** (man's face - that looks remarkably like a copper relief (during a TLE I saw while in in Britian once) from ancient Greece or somewhere older of a Greek/ancient philosopher - maybe like the "Mask of Agamemnon"? to me anyway LOL)

Kearn

[slice of heaven]

Theres a few yays and no nays yet.
So how about giving it a bit of 'Southern' flavour Mojo.

[[1ponders]]

Now would be a good time to do it. See how many people notice as the moon starts to wax.

[firstlight]

I agree, having the Moon illuminated from the right is how we would see it in the South. Nitpicking, I know... but aesthetically pleasing :)

[iceman]

Looks fine to me now :)

I think it originally stemmed from something I read from "Mr Luna", Charles Wood, who said that moon images are best displayed with south up. Good from a consistency standpoint when comparing images etc, but I also now agree that for our little moon phase picture it's best to show it how we see it in the sky.