Does the moon have an Analemma?

The Moon’s Analemma: Does Our Lunar Buddy Do the Figure Eight, Too?

Okay, so you know how the Sun makes that cool figure-8 shape in the sky over a year, right? That’s the analemma, and it’s all thanks to Earth wobbling on its axis and not having a perfectly round orbit. But what about the Moon? Does our lunar pal get in on the action? Well, the answer is a bit of a “yes, but…” situation.

See, the Moon doesn’t have a true analemma like the Sun. We’re not talking about a year-long portrait here. But, believe it or not, it does trace out a similar sort of curve, just over a much shorter time. Think of it as a “lunar analemma lite.”

First, a quick refresher on the solar analemma. Imagine snapping a photo of the Sun from the exact same spot, at the exact same time, every single day for a year. What you’d end up with isn’t just a single dot, but a funky figure-8 pattern. That’s Earth’s tilted axis and slightly oval-shaped orbit messing with the Sun’s apparent position. Pretty neat, huh?

Now, the Moon’s got its own quirks. Its orbit is tilted a bit compared to Earth’s path around the Sun, and it’s not a perfect circle either. Because of this, the Moon’s position in the sky shifts as it goes around us. So, if you were to photograph the Moon from the same place, but about 50 minutes and 29 seconds later each day (gotta be precise!), over the course of about a month, you’d see it trace out a curve that looks a lot like an analemma.

So, why not call it the “real deal?” Well, that yearly thing is kind of key. The Sun’s analemma takes a whole year to complete, showing Earth’s grand journey. The Moon’s version? It’s just a monthly snapshot. Plus, you can’t just photograph the moon at the same time each day, like you can with the sun. Because the moon orbits the Earth so quickly, you have to take the photo almost an hour later each day.

Want to try capturing this lunar dance yourself? It’s not a walk in the park, I’ll tell you that.

• Timing is Everything: You’ve got to be super consistent, snapping those shots roughly 50 minutes and 29 seconds later each day to keep the Moon in the same part of your frame.
• Location, Location, Location: Your camera needs to stay put for the entire month. No moving allowed!
• Fingers Crossed for Clear Skies: Cloudy weather? Forget about it. You need clear skies, which can be tough depending on where you live.
• Stack ‘Em Up: The final picture is a blend of all those individual photos, carefully lined up to reveal that analemma shape. It’s like putting together a celestial puzzle.

And get this: the lunar analemma isn’t always the same shape! The Moon’s orbit wobbles over time, so sometimes the figure-8 looks tilted or a little wonky. Some months, it might even look more like a paddle than a figure eight. Talk about lunar variety!

Sure, chasing the lunar analemma can be a bit of a headache. But when you finally nail that shot? It’s an awesome feeling. You’ve visually captured the Moon’s orbital mechanics and created something truly beautiful. Astrophotographers like Betul Turksoy and Wael Omar have pulled it off, showing us all the Moon’s cool monthly moves across the night sky. Maybe you’ll be next!