Warren Thorn wrote :
> With the help of the basic programs from Sky & Telescope, I have
> worked on the question of how many full moons will fall on Christmas
> in the next 100 years. (3-2015,2072,2091) Someone at church said
> we would not have a full moon on Christmas for over 100 years---I
> knew that was not likely. There are several programs for date, time,
> right ascension, and declination. The URL for Sky & Telescope is:
>
> <http://www.skypub.com/software/software.shtml>
In "Astronomical Tables of Sun, Moon and Planets" by J. Meeus and using
the Jeffrey Sax's programs distributed by Willmann-Bell and based on
Astronomical Algorithms by J. Meeus
I've found that Full Moon will fall in Christmas day 5 times in next
century .
Exactly in 2015 (11h 13m UT), 2034 (8h 56m), 2053 (9h, 24m) ,2072(7h 18m),
2091(22h 02m)
: the intervals respect the Saros Cycle
The Full Moon will fall in the Holy Night ( as in 1996 at 20h 42m UT) only
4 times : 2007 ( 1h 17m) ,2026 (1h 29m), 2045 (0h 45m), 2093 (3h 53m) .
Perhaps at church someone said that we would not have a full moon on
Christmas for over 100 years (also in Italy I've heared this news by
radio) because for the persons not keened on astronomy the Holy Night
begins about at 18h (12/24) and ends about 6h (12/25) and in this period
there is no Full Moon ( at Greenwich obviously) .
Please accept my apologies since this note not concerns Sundials
Ciao Gianni
