The Moon (Part 2)

Ron Webb wrote: Abu Loren wrote: I can predict that the Moon will be full in the Arabian Peninsula on the 13th, 14th and fifteenth of the Islamic Calendar. Science can predict the phases of the moon accurate to within a couple of minutes for the next hundred years.It can also predict that the next total solar eclipse will be on March 8/9 next year (crossing the International Date Line).� However, it will mostly be visible only over the Pacific Ocean.� Unless you live in northwest Australia, southeast Asia, or an island in the Pacific or Indian Ocean, you won't even notice it.The next total solar eclipse visible in North America will be on August 21, 2017.� It will only be a partial eclipse in Canada, but the line of totality passes right through the middle of the United States. I plan to start making my travel plans now to see it.That's why I believe in science.� It makes real prophesies -- not like religion, which can only manage vague generalizations about thoroughly unsurprising military victories, which happen five years late.

As I've stated before once you observe something long enough you will be able to tell what it will do next.
Simple stuff indeed.

Abu Loren wrote: As I've stated before once you observe something long enough you will be able to tell what it will do next. Simple stuff indeed.

Predicting astronomical events to within a couple of minutes, a hundred years in the past or future, is hardly "simple stuff".  It is a spectacular confirmation of the underlying (Copernican) model.  If only the Quran offered such impressive prophecies...

Abu Loren wrote: Ron Webb wrote: Predicting astronomical events to within a couple of minutes, a hundred years in the past or future, is hardly "simple stuff".  It is a spectacular confirmation of the underlying (Copernican) model.  If only the Quran offered such impressive prophecies... [IMG]smileys/smiley22.gif" align="absmiddle" alt="Stern%20Smile" /> Oh Ye of little faith! Many prophecies of Prophet Muhammad (SalAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) has already came true. I'm not going to list them to an atheist.

But they were not very impressive predictions and they had no time frame on them. That is not being at all impressive.

Abu Loren wrote: Now that I am in the UK and looking at the Moon it seems different. The black spots seems to be at the other end of the Moon. Meaning when I was in the UAE the dark spots were at the top right hand corner and now it is at the other side (top left hand corner). Can somebody please shed some light on this?

One thing I'll say for you, Mr. Loren: you are certainly an astute observer.

I noticed a similar thing the first time I was in the tropics.  The moon, and in particular a crescent moon, looked "wrong", for some reason I couldn't quite figure out.  It wasn't until much later that I finally understood it.

When you are near the equator, the path of the moon is almost vertical with respect to the horizon.  When it sets, the crescent is lying on its side, with arc of the crescent toward the ground.

Up here in the northern latitudes, the moon moves diagonally as it approaches the horizon.  The crescent is tilted somewhat, but it isn't tilted all the way over as it is at the equator.  In other words, it still looks more like the letter C than the letter U, if that makes more sense.

The same would be true for a full moon, although I've never studied the features of the moon so carefully that I would notice it.  Whatever the phase, the moon would appear to be sideways as it nears the horizon (comparing equatorial observations with northern ones).

Of course, all of this assumes a Copernican solar system.  I have no idea how you're going to make sense of it within a flat earth model.