Hokay here we go. SO this planet has three moons.
Moon one is almost identical to Earth's moon - a 5 degree tilted orbit, orbits once every 29.5 days, and has the same phases. Is the same size.
Moon two has the exact same orbit as moon one - the same tilt, so they both follow the exact same path across the sky. However it takes this moon four months to complete a rotation. It is much larger than the first moon, because even though it is further away, it appears to be a little bigger.
The third moon has a much higher angled tilt, orbiting once every two months. It is between the first and second moons, and appears from the ground only a sliver larger than the first, and a little smaller than the second. The third moon's angle is so steep that for half of its orbit, it can only be seen from one hemisphere of the planet. During the months that is is visible, the third moon progresses from low to the horizon during the first days of the month, to very high, almost directly overhead during the middle, and then down again at the end.
PHASES
Follow the first moon's phases as normal. The second moon's phases, and the third moon's positions are as follows:
January
- Second moon is New at the beginning of the month, waxing crescent at the end of the month.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
February
- Second moon is first quarter at the beginning of the month (half moon), waxing gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
March
- Second moon is Full at the beginning of the month, waning gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
April
- Second moon is 3rd quarter (half moon) at the beginning of the month, waning crescent at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
May
- Second moon is New at the beginning of the month, waxing crescent at the end of the month.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
June
- Second moon is first quarter at the beginning of the month (half moon), waxing gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
July
- Second moon is Full at the beginning of the month, waning gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
August
- Second moon is 3rd quarter (half moon) at the beginning of the month, waning crescent at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
September
- Second moon is New at the beginning of the month, waxing crescent at the end of the month.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
October
- Second moon is first quarter at the beginning of the month (half moon), waxing gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
November
- Second moon is Full at the beginning of the month, waning gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
December
- Second moon is 3rd quarter (half moon) at the beginning of the month, waning crescent at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
MOON ALIGNMENTS
The first and second moon align like an eclipse once every month. This could be an opportunity for a colour shift! They align at different positions in the sky every time.
All three moons align like an eclipse very rarely.
Triple alignments in the Northern hemisphere occur only at night.
Triple alignments in the Southern hemipshere occur only during the day.
ECLIPSES
Lunar eclipses occur 1 or 2 times per year per moon. (This is not scientifically accurate for the other two moons but fuck it, I can't be bothered to work it out) So between 3 and 6 per year. Not all of them will be total (red) eclipses. On rare occasions a lunar eclipse will occur during a moon alignment. All three moons is MUCH rarer than two. Total red eclipses while the moons are aligned is rarer still.
Solar eclipses occur once per year per moon, so 3 times per year. Sometimes more. However, unlike lunar eclipses you have to be at the right position to witness a solar eclipse. On earth, most of them go unwitnessed because they occur over the ocean. Total eclipses are much rarer than partial eclipses because the effected area is even smaller. Eclipses during moon alignments are super duper rare. A triple alignment total solar eclipse would be a once in a few thousand years type of thing.
I should not be up this late and chances are a lot of this information is stupid. I will look again tomorrow to make sure I haven't derped.
Moon one is almost identical to Earth's moon - a 5 degree tilted orbit, orbits once every 29.5 days, and has the same phases. Is the same size.
Moon two has the exact same orbit as moon one - the same tilt, so they both follow the exact same path across the sky. However it takes this moon four months to complete a rotation. It is much larger than the first moon, because even though it is further away, it appears to be a little bigger.
The third moon has a much higher angled tilt, orbiting once every two months. It is between the first and second moons, and appears from the ground only a sliver larger than the first, and a little smaller than the second. The third moon's angle is so steep that for half of its orbit, it can only be seen from one hemisphere of the planet. During the months that is is visible, the third moon progresses from low to the horizon during the first days of the month, to very high, almost directly overhead during the middle, and then down again at the end.
PHASES
Follow the first moon's phases as normal. The second moon's phases, and the third moon's positions are as follows:
January
- Second moon is New at the beginning of the month, waxing crescent at the end of the month.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
February
- Second moon is first quarter at the beginning of the month (half moon), waxing gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
March
- Second moon is Full at the beginning of the month, waning gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
April
- Second moon is 3rd quarter (half moon) at the beginning of the month, waning crescent at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
May
- Second moon is New at the beginning of the month, waxing crescent at the end of the month.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
June
- Second moon is first quarter at the beginning of the month (half moon), waxing gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
July
- Second moon is Full at the beginning of the month, waning gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
August
- Second moon is 3rd quarter (half moon) at the beginning of the month, waning crescent at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
September
- Second moon is New at the beginning of the month, waxing crescent at the end of the month.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
October
- Second moon is first quarter at the beginning of the month (half moon), waxing gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
November
- Second moon is Full at the beginning of the month, waning gibbous at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the NORTHERN hemisphere, only at night.
December
- Second moon is 3rd quarter (half moon) at the beginning of the month, waning crescent at the end.
- Third moon is visible in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, only during the day.
MOON ALIGNMENTS
The first and second moon align like an eclipse once every month. This could be an opportunity for a colour shift! They align at different positions in the sky every time.
All three moons align like an eclipse very rarely.
Triple alignments in the Northern hemisphere occur only at night.
Triple alignments in the Southern hemipshere occur only during the day.
ECLIPSES
Lunar eclipses occur 1 or 2 times per year per moon. (This is not scientifically accurate for the other two moons but fuck it, I can't be bothered to work it out) So between 3 and 6 per year. Not all of them will be total (red) eclipses. On rare occasions a lunar eclipse will occur during a moon alignment. All three moons is MUCH rarer than two. Total red eclipses while the moons are aligned is rarer still.
Solar eclipses occur once per year per moon, so 3 times per year. Sometimes more. However, unlike lunar eclipses you have to be at the right position to witness a solar eclipse. On earth, most of them go unwitnessed because they occur over the ocean. Total eclipses are much rarer than partial eclipses because the effected area is even smaller. Eclipses during moon alignments are super duper rare. A triple alignment total solar eclipse would be a once in a few thousand years type of thing.
I should not be up this late and chances are a lot of this information is stupid. I will look again tomorrow to make sure I haven't derped.
One little detail. While this is AWESOMELY worked out, we've got a slight situation :p if moon 1 and 2 follow the exact same path, but the second moon takes 4 months... Won't that make them collide?
They're at different distances, the reason they take longer is because the distance they have to travel is greater.
Also as a note, in January, May, and September, there is a chance that there will be no moon in the sky for the Southern hemisphere. Moons 1 and 2 might be new at once, and moon 3 is not visible. The Northern hemisphere will never experience this phenomenon. In March, July, and November, there is a chance for three full moons in the Northern hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere will never experience this phenomenon. These events are very rare, because for the most part the timing's of the moons do NOT match up like that. But their orbits have eccentricities that will mean that once or twice every couple of years, it might happen.
Which means... Terel'Liren has to be in the north, since they believe that the souls of their dead only cross on to the afterlife during a triple full moon, a belief that wouldn't crop up in a place where that never happens.
If you want I can try and make a video of the planet and moons so that you can see how their orbits work. Anyone know of a good, free, screen capture program?
Ben wrote:
If you want I can try and make a video of the planet and moons so that you can see how their orbits work. Anyone know of a good, free, screen capture program?
Fraps. Normally it's not free, but there's a torrent for the full version to be easily found
So I never could get the moons working properly in the program I was using... Oh well.
Is this information as it is presented sufficient, or should I rework it to be more readable and include extra notes like the chances of lunar events?
Is this information as it is presented sufficient, or should I rework it to be more readable and include extra notes like the chances of lunar events?