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Michael Behrend offers a quick introduction to next year's lunar standstill, an event apparently of immense significance to the designers of many stone circles
Lunar standstills are associated with the backward movement of the Moon's nodes round the ecliptic in a period of about 18.6 years. Major standstill occurs when the ascending node passes through the first point of Aries and into Pisces. Some exact times (GMT) for this are:
1969 Mar 29 02:45
1987 Nov 08 11:45
2006 Jun 19 20:48
2025 Jan 29 05:56
1987 Nov 08 11:45
2006 Jun 19 20:48
2025 Jan 29 05:56
These may be of interest to astrologers (if anybody still uses the Moon's nodes). For astroarchaeology, however, Thom's Megalithic Lunar Observatories (OUP, 1971, 1973) considers the standstill to be a period of about a year, centred on the above time, and during which "the limiting declinations do not vary by more than 20 arc minutes". So the next major standstill in this sense will pretty well coincide with the calendar year 2006.
In Thom's graph for the 1969 standstill (his Fig. 2.3) there is a single overall peak declination on March 25. At the 1987 standstill this peak was on September 29, and in 2025 it will be on March 22. In 2006, on the other hand, there will be two practically equal peaks: 28.723°S on March 22, and 28.722°N on September 15.
We notice that the highest peaks of the Moon?s declination always occur near an equinox. The reason (I think) is as follows:
1) At a standstill, the Moon?s maximum N or S declination occurs when the Moon is near 0° Cancer or 0° Capricorn respectively.
2) The highest peaks are those that happen to fall near first or third quarter, because then the Sun?s gravity has least tendency to pull the Moon into the plane of the Earth?s orbit round the Sun. Taken together, these facts imply that the Sun is near 0° Aries or 0° Libra, i.e. near an equinox. For a detailed discussion of the Moon?s behaviour at a standstill, see
[Michael included some information on the moon in 2006, derived from programmes in Peter Duffett-Smith's 'Astronomy With Your Personal Computer' (2nd ed, CUP, 1990), some of which can be found below. A third table, on the Moon's rising and setting times at York in 2006, can be found at our website]
Times of New & Full Moon in 2006
New 2005-12-31 03:11 Full 2006-01-14 09:48
New 2006-01-29 14:15 Full 2006-02-13 04:44
New 2006-02-28 00:32 Full 2006-03-14 23:36
New 2006-03-29 10:17 Full 2006-04-13 16:41
New 2006-04-27 19:46 Full 2006-05-13 06:53
New 2006-05-27 05:27 Full 2006-06-11 18:05
New 2006-06-25 16:06 Full 2006-07-11 03:04
New 2006-07-25 04:31 Full 2006-08-09 10:56
New 2006-08-23 19:10 Full 2006-09-07 18:44
New 2006-09-22 11:45 Full 2006-10-07 03:14
New 2006-10-22 05:14 Full 2006-11-05 12:59
New 2006-11-20 22:18 Full 2006-12-05 00:25
New 2006-12-20 14:01 Full 2007-01-03 13:57
New 2007-01-19 04:01
New 2006-01-29 14:15 Full 2006-02-13 04:44
New 2006-02-28 00:32 Full 2006-03-14 23:36
New 2006-03-29 10:17 Full 2006-04-13 16:41
New 2006-04-27 19:46 Full 2006-05-13 06:53
New 2006-05-27 05:27 Full 2006-06-11 18:05
New 2006-06-25 16:06 Full 2006-07-11 03:04
New 2006-07-25 04:31 Full 2006-08-09 10:56
New 2006-08-23 19:10 Full 2006-09-07 18:44
New 2006-09-22 11:45 Full 2006-10-07 03:14
New 2006-10-22 05:14 Full 2006-11-05 12:59
New 2006-11-20 22:18 Full 2006-12-05 00:25
New 2006-12-20 14:01 Full 2007-01-03 13:57
New 2007-01-19 04:01
Moon's monthly maximum and minimum declination in 2006
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.411° at 2006-01-12 13:15
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.493° at 2006-01-27 00:14
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.556° at 2006-02-08 18:20
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.649° at 2006-02-23 09:39
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.693° at 2006-03-08 00:06
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.723° at 2006-03-22 16:56
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.715° at 2006-04-04 07:38
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.667° at 2006-04-18 22:28
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.616° at 2006-05-01 16:27
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.541° at 2006-05-16 03:52
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.490° at 2006-05-29 01:11
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.453° at 2006-06-12 10:33
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.445° at 2006-06-25 08:39
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.477° at 2006-07-09 18:54
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.516° at 2006-07-22 14:35
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.594° at 2006-08-06 04:15
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.644° at 2006-08-18 19:44
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.704° at 2006-09-02 13:13
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.722° at 2006-09-15 01:28
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.710° at 2006-09-29 20:34
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.677° at 2006-10-12 08:54
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.595° at 2006-10-27 02:08
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.531° at 2006-11-08 18:02
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.443° at 2006-11-23 07:15
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.402° at 2006-12-06 03:37
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.378° at 2006-12-20 13:42
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.493° at 2006-01-27 00:14
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.556° at 2006-02-08 18:20
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.649° at 2006-02-23 09:39
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.693° at 2006-03-08 00:06
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.723° at 2006-03-22 16:56
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.715° at 2006-04-04 07:38
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.667° at 2006-04-18 22:28
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.616° at 2006-05-01 16:27
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.541° at 2006-05-16 03:52
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.490° at 2006-05-29 01:11
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.453° at 2006-06-12 10:33
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.445° at 2006-06-25 08:39
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.477° at 2006-07-09 18:54
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.516° at 2006-07-22 14:35
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.594° at 2006-08-06 04:15
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.644° at 2006-08-18 19:44
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.704° at 2006-09-02 13:13
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.722° at 2006-09-15 01:28
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.710° at 2006-09-29 20:34
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.677° at 2006-10-12 08:54
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.595° at 2006-10-27 02:08
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.531° at 2006-11-08 18:02
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.443° at 2006-11-23 07:15
Monthly maximum declination = + 28.402° at 2006-12-06 03:37
Monthly minimum declination = ? 28.378° at 2006-12-20 13:42
Looking to Standstill - other sources for information and observation
A major location for standstill observations is Callanish, on the Isle of Lewis. In September 2006 the Moon will 'dance' along the ridge Cailleach na Mointich to the S of the stone circle, a phenomenon occurring every 18-19 years. Victor Reijs' websites give much more detail (sometimes overwhelmingly so) on dates, rising and setting times, as well as a discussion of associated problems. It seems that 2 and 29 Sept 2006 are the days when the maximum southern limit will occur, but if these days are cloudy there will be other days when lunar behaviour will be very similar. NE, via its magazine and website, plans to run other features and information on the standstills of 2006 as the time approaches; please feel free to contribute to this in any way.
Some useful sources for further information and work on the lunar standstill:
http://www.reijs.org/
http://www.megalithicsites.co.uk
http://www.archaeocosmology.org/
http://www.iol.ie/~geniet/maeshowe
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/archaeoacoustics
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/archaeocosmology
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/irish-stones
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rockartglossary
http://www.megalithicsites.co.uk
http://www.archaeocosmology.org/
http://www.iol.ie/~geniet/maeshowe
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/archaeoacoustics
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/archaeocosmology
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/irish-stones
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rockartglossary
In addition, if any of our readers would like to co-ordinate standstill observations, Northern Earth will be pleased to announce details, both in the magazine, on our subscriber email network and on the website. Please let us know what you're planning for the 2006 standstill!
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