Major Lunar standstill – lowest Path of the Moon this year

The Moon has an 18.6 year cycle. We are now in the Major Lunar Standstill Season when the Moon rises to her highest and lowest in the sky. This will peak next year at the spring equinox. However, the half Moons near the autumn equinox are the highest and lowest of this year. On the 24^th September, the Moon was at her highest – remember those very high tides? Two weeks later, on the 9^th October, she will be at her lowest and will be visible during the daytime. In very northern locations, she will only just skim the horizon. This is astronomically the lowest Moon of 2024.

During the Major Lunar Standstill season, it’s a great time to observe the Moon. Every month, when the Moon is in Sagittarius or Capricorn, she will be extremely low in the sky and then, two weeks later, when the Moon is in Gemini or Cancer, she will be extremely high.

We’ve created an animation to show the extreme swing between the height of the half Moons either side of the autumn equinox this year and then comparing this to when we’re in the Minor Lunar Standstill, in 9 years time, when the Moon’s swing is at its least extreme.

Have you noticed the arc of the Moon when she’s in Gemini/Cancer and Sagittarius/Capricorn? Let us know what you’re seeing.

Look out for our next post:
The tilt of the Earth, the tilt of the Moon and the Sun’s gravitational pull.