The Moon on this date
Moon on Friday, December 21, 2001
Waxing Crescent
39.2% illuminated · waxing
Shown at midday from Columbus, US.
Rise, set and path
Times for Columbus, US
- Moonrise
- E
- Highest
- 41°
- Moonset
- W
60°30°
Horizon
12:26 PM
11:45 PM
41°
Key figures
- Illuminated
- 39.2%
- Age
- 6.8 days
- Distance
- 404,600 km
- Apparent size
- 29.5′
- Constellation
- Aquarius
- Lunation number
- 977
Events on this date
-
Apogee
The Moon's farthest point from Earth on this orbit: 404,600 km.
-
December solstice
The shortest day in the northern hemisphere and the longest in the southern.
Exact values
For Dec 21, 12:00 PM, midday on this date.
| Elongation from the Sun | 77.34° |
|---|---|
| Phase angle | 102.45° |
| Illuminated fraction | 39.22% |
| Altitude / azimuth | -5.1° / 98.8° |
| Right ascension / declination | 23h 21m / -9.83° |
| Ecliptic longitude / latitude | 347.25° / -5.21° |
| Libration in longitude / latitude | -0.44° / 7.57° |
| Sub-solar longitude / latitude | 101.68° / -0.07° |
| Position angle of the axis | 336.5° |
| Position angle of the bright limb | 248.0° |
| Apparent magnitude | -9.5 |
Directions are good to about a hundredth of a degree and the distance to about 50 km; more digits would not mean anything.