Believe it or not, the phases of the moon vary with the latitude.
I wish I knew this when I sailed from Mexico to New Zealand. I would have enjoyed watching the orientation of the moon change as I sailed from the northern hemisphere to the equator where the moon phases are oriented horizontally.
The moons orientation in the southern hemisphere tilts in the opposite direction from what it is in the northern hemisphere.
You can get a rough idea of your latitude by looking at the orientation of the moon in the night sky.
In the northern hemisphere, when the illuminated right half of the moon is increasing in size each night, the moon is said to be waxing.
In the northern hemisphere, when the illuminated left half of the moon is decreasing in size, the moon is said to be waning.
In the southern hemisphere, when the illuminated left half of the moon is increasing in size each night, the moon is said to be waxing.
In the southern hemisphere, when the illuminated right half of the moon is decreasing in size, the moon is said to be waning.
In the southern hemisphere the moon is observed in an inverted perspective campared to what is seen in the northern hemisphere because they are on opposite sides of the equator. Hence, the waxing and waning appearance of the moon is opposite to what you see in the other hemisphere.
At the equator, the lunar terminator appears horizontally oriented with respect to the horizon.
The horns of the lunar crescent can point up or down relative to the sun. When the sun appears above the moon in the sky, the cresent will open downward. When the moon is above the sun, the moon's crescent opens upward.
The crescent moon is brightest when the sun is below the horizon - the moon is above the sun, and the crescent opens upward.
The waxing crescent appears in the western sky in the evening after a new moon.
The waning crescent appears in the eastern sky in the morning just before a new moon.
Captain Dave - Real Ocean Cruiser
Awesome music video that captures the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. David Abbott from Too Many Drummers sings the vocals, and he also edited the footage from our Red Sea adventures. This is the theme song from the Red Sea Chronicles.
Sailing up the Red Sea is not for the faint of heart. From the Bab al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, adventures and adversity are in abundance. If you take things too seriously, you just might get the Red Sea Blues.
If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.
Flying fish assault Exit Only in the middle of the night as we sail through the Arabian Gulf from the Maldives to Oman. And so begins our Red Sea adventures.
Sailing through Pirate Alley between Yemen and Somalia involves calculated risk. It may not be Russian Roulette, but it is a bit of a worry. Follow Team Maxing Out as they navigate through Pirate Alley.
Stopping in Yemen was just what the doctor ordered. We refueled, repaired our alternator, and we made friends with our gracious Yemeni hosts. We also went to Baskins Robbins as a reward for surviving Pirate Alley.
After you survive Pirate Alley, you must sail through the Gate of Sorrows (Bab Al Mandab) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Gate of Sorrows lived up to its name with fifty knots of wind and a sandstorm that pummeled Exit Only for two days. Life is good.
Although I like the feel of a paper book in my hand, I love trees even more. When people purchase an eBook, they actually save trees and save money as well. Ebooks are less expensive and have no negative impact on the environment. All of Dr. Dave's books are available at Save A Tree Bookstore. Visit the bookstore today and start putting good things into your mind. It's easy to fill your mind with positive things using eBooks. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pull out your smart phone or tablet and start reading. You can even use electronic highlighters and make annotations in your eBooks just like paper books.
