Moonrise
People tend to think of the moon as a fixture in the night sky. But the moon is often up during the day – in broad daylight.
This was common knowledge before the 20th century. In the 1700s and 1800s practically every American household owned a Farmers Almanac, but even without one, just about anybody could tell you when the moon would be up during the day, and when it would be up during the night. Back then, people depended on the light of the moon to see at night, and they planned outdoor activities according to the moon’s light.
Here are the basic facts that everybody used to know:
New Moon rises at Sunrise
The moon rises later and later each day.
First Quarter rises at Noon
The moon continues to rise later each day.
Full Moon rises at Sunset
The moon continues to rise later each night.
Last Quarter rises at Midnight.
If you live near the Atlantic Ocean, one of the most spectacular things you may ever see is the moon, a day or two before it turns New, rising at dawn. Just grab a cup of Joe or your favorite herbal tea and go to the beach. It’s worth it.
In about an hour the sky goes from this:
To this:
Modern technology gave us Street Lights and Headlights, and Flood Lights, and somewhere along the way, modern people lost track of the moon. But all is not lost. Modern technology also gave us the internet.