Moon Phases

What is the general consensus on moon phases? Surely there has to be a better theory than luminescent bacteria or storm formations.

Now, the problem with moon phases and Flat Earth Theory is that the moon is illuminated as if a light source was orbiting it. Without some tricky light bending problems, therefore, the sun can't be the source. There is the option of trying to bounce light off the Earth, but you're still going to have serious problems. Therefore, the simplest solution is the silly one, which is the antimoon. Either a small object, or an inmaterial and invisible one is required in order to illuminate the moon, like so:



This seems to me to be a much better solution than luminescent bacteria or storms. Here is the best solution, in my opinion: a small object is orbiting the moon from quite a distance away, so likewise it will be very difficult to spot it. Moreover, this object simply can't rotate in a circular pattern, since as we all know, the lighted side of the moon always faces the sun. Therefore, it would have to be some sort of periodic movement in a semi-circle, as shown in the picture.

Other theories are welcome, but let's try to keep the explanation to a light source, rather than any sort of silly explanations.

A body big enough to cover the moon would still be visible at some points even if it was dark.

A body big enough to cover the moon would still be visible at some points even if it was dark.

Not if it was far enough away that it never crossed directly in front of the moon from the bottom.

EDIT: Also, what do you mean "big enough"? A point light source could be enough. An object doesn't have to be big in order to illuminate something big.

A possible problem is the same object illuminating the Earth when it goes up and above the moon, thereby causing light when the moon was in the New phase.

Not if it was far enough away that it never crossed directly in front of the moon from the bottom.

EDIT: Also, what do you mean "big enough"? A point light source could be enough. An object doesn't have to be big in order to illuminate something big.

So a Lunar System not unlike the Earth System in Flat Earth Theory but with a smaller and cooler sun object?

Edit: Mind you, I'm not trying to shoot it down but just flesh it out.

From the Wiki:

http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=The+Phases+of+the+Moon

The Phases of the Moon

When one observes the phases of the moon he is simply observing the moon's day and night, a natural shadow from the sun illuminating half of the spherical moon at any one time.

The lunar phases vary cyclically according to the changing geometry of the Moon and Sun, which are constantly wobbling up and down and exchange altitudes as they rotate around the North Pole.

When the moon and sun are at the same altitude one half of the lunar surface is illuminated and pointing towards the sun, This is called the First Quarter Moon. When the observer looks up he will see a shadow cutting the moon in half. The boundary between the illuminated and unilluminated hemispheres is called the terminator.

When the moon is below the sun's altitude the moon is dark and a New Moon occurs.

When the moon is above the altitude of the sun the moon is fully lit and a Full Moon occurs.

The time between two full moons, or between successive occurrences of the same phase, is about 29.53 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes) on average. This denotes the cycle of alternating altitudes.


Why does everyone see the same phase?

Q: Why does everyone on earth see the same phase of the moon?

A: They don't. The phase you see varies depending on your location on earth. In FET this is explained by the different observers standing on either side of the moon. On one side it is right-side up, and on the other side it is upside down.

Imagine a green arrow suspended horizontally above your head pointing to the North. Standing 50 feet to the South of the arrow it is pointing "downwards" towards the Northern horizon. Standing 50 feet to the North of the arrow, looking back at it, it points "upwards" above your head to the North. The arrow flip-flops, pointing down or away from the horizon depending on which side you stand.

The lunar phase varies depending on where you stand on a Round Earth as well. Here is the RET explanation for why the moon turns upside down when you stand on either side of it: http://web.archive.org/web/20070218184023/http://www.seed.slb.com/qa2/FAQView.cfm?ID=1137 (external link)

From the Wiki:

http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=The+Phases+of+the+Moon

Quote from: Wiki

The Phases of the Moon
...
Why does everyone see the same phase?

Q: Why does everyone on earth see the same phase of the moon?

A: They don't. The phase you see varies depending on your location on earth. In FET this is explained by the different observers standing on either side of the moon. On one side it is right-side up, and on the other side it is upside down.
...

Tom,

Your wiki article is misleading because it does not explain moon phases at all, just directions.

On a FE, the moon's phase (observed portion of illumination) would vary greatly with geographic location. It doesn't.  Please try another hypothesis.
 

Indeed. Plus, unless you want to have problems illuminating the Earth during night, there is no way to create a full moon.

Moonshrimp explain everything.

Except how they move across the face of the moon without wearing it smooth.

Indeed. Plus, unless you want to have problems illuminating the Earth during night, there is no way to create a full moon.

That's another topic in itself. Cue bendy light.

Quote from: Tom Bishop on May 31, 2011, 09:37:27 AM

From the Wiki:

http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=The+Phases+of+the+Moon

Quote from: Wiki

The Phases of the Moon
...
Why does everyone see the same phase?

Q: Why does everyone on earth see the same phase of the moon?

A: They don't. The phase you see varies depending on your location on earth. In FET this is explained by the different observers standing on either side of the moon. On one side it is right-side up, and on the other side it is upside down.
...

Tom,

Your wiki article is misleading because it does not explain moon phases at all, just directions.

On a FE, the moon's phase (observed portion of illumination) would vary greatly with geographic location. It doesn't.  Please try another hypothesis.
 

It doesn't? Proof?

Stop it Tom.

And again, luminescent nuclides.

I don't get why the sun and moon have to be so damn close to the Flat Earth. Just raise them up. Problem solved.

Find me a moon phase calendar that uses location as a variable.

If the sun is illuminating the moon, in order to even get a quarter moon, the moon would have to be thousands of miles below the Earth.

Find me a moon phase calendar that uses location as a variable.

So no proof then?

Quote from: Moon squirter on May 31, 2011, 10:20:10 AM

Tom,

Your wiki article is misleading because it does not explain moon phases at all, just directions.

On a FE, the moon's phase (observed portion of illumination) would vary greatly with geographic location. It doesn't.  Please try another hypothesis.
 

It doesn't? Proof?

Does this look familiar?

Does the moon look the same from all parts of the Earth on any one day?
Slightly more of the Southern regions of the moon can be seen from the Southern hemisphere, and a little more of the Northern regions from the Northern hemisphere, however because the Earth is small compared to its distance to the moon and the sun, these differences are very small.

Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_phase#Names_of_lunar_phases
Notice how the names and dates of the lunar phases are the same in the northern and southern hemispheres. 

So no proof then, got it.

Just because you aren't willing to see it, that doesn't mean that it isn't there.

If you're not going to post proof then I'm done with you.

If you're not going to post proof then I'm done with you.

Why aren't records proof?

Quote from: Tom Bishop on May 31, 2011, 04:40:07 PM

If you're not going to post proof then I'm done with you.

Why aren't records proof?

What records?

Fine, let's conduct an experiment. What's the moon phase in England?

Fine, let's conduct an experiment. What's the moon phase in England?

How should I know? I don't live in England.

Actually, we can't really conduct an experiment, because it's a new moon. However, lunar phase calendars are published all over the world, and there is never a discrepancy. Furthermore, some calendars, such as Chinese and Japan, base their calendars off of the moon. So, until an experiment can be conducted, it seems to point to the lunar phase being the same all over the world.

Actually, we can't really conduct an experiment, because it's a new moon. However, lunar phase calendars are published all over the world, and there is never a discrepancy.

Really? You've verified the moon calendars all over the world in order to make such an authoritative statement?

Just because it's published doesn't make it accurate.

See: Astrology.

Quote from: Trekky0623 on May 31, 2011, 05:31:25 PM

Actually, we can't really conduct an experiment, because it's a new moon. However, lunar phase calendars are published all over the world, and there is never a discrepancy.

Really? You've verified the moon calendars all over the world in order to make such an authoritative statement?

Just because it's published doesn't make it accurate.

See: Astrology.

A moon calendar is not astrology. It makes a prediction that can be verified by looking at the sky.

Don't bother with Tom. Tom could tell you that a carrot is blue, and even if you pulled a thousand carrots out of the ground to prove him wrong, he'd tell you it's the wrong kind of carrot.

If you're not going to post proof then I'm done with you.

Look out your window.