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Ephemeris: 11/08/2024 – The Jade Rabbit on the Moon
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Friday, November 8th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 5:21, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:32. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 11:24 this evening.
Tonight’s Moon is just a few hours before the instant of first quarter which is officially at 12:56 tomorrow morning. The ancient Chinese saw in the gray areas of the Moon, we call seas, a rabbit, a pet of Chinese moon goddess Chang’e, its name was Yutu. These have become the names of the Chinese lunar landers and rovers. The top half of that rabbit is visible in the gray areas called maria, or seas. Early telescopic astronomers thought they were actually water filled basins. It turned out to be lava plains, actually floors of huge craters, from asteroids that hit the Moon 4 billion years ago during the late heavy bombardment. The top body of the rabbit is at the top part of the moon it descends to the lower right with his head and ears. The rabbit is also known as the Jade Rabbit. The rest of him is visible when the moon is full. Yutu has a real presence on the Moon, as the names of the two Chinese rovers that landed on the Moon.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). Times will be different for other locations.
Addendum
Ephemeris: 09/19/2024 – The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, September 19th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 7:44, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:28. The Moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 8:30 this evening.
Our Harvest Moon also marks the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. I’ve been too busy with the lunar eclipse to cover it on Tuesday. It is to honor the Moon and the story of Chang’e a mortal woman who took an elixir and flew off to the Moon and became a goddess. Another story revolves around the Jade Rabbit pounding Medicine. I sometimes talk about the figure of a rabbit seen on the face of the Moon. He is a companion to Chang’e, and has a mortar and pestle on the Moon with him. He pounds out the medicine that makes the inhabitants of the sky immortal. The Chinese lunar probes are named Chang’e. Chang’e 3 landed on the Moon in 2013 and sent out a lunar rover named Yutu, the Jade Rabbit. They have made other landings since.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). Times will be different for other locations.
Addendum
Ephemeris: 07/16/2024 – Find the rabbit in the Moon
This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 16th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 11 minutes, setting at 9:24, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:13. The Moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 2:10 tomorrow morning.
The Moon tonight is a gibbous phase which is between first quarter and full. The sunrise line we call the terminator is moving across the lunar sea Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms. As I look at the Moon more and more, I’m beginning to appreciate what the Chinese saw in the pattern of the lunar seas, that of a rabbit. A very particular rabbit named Yutu, belonging to the moon goddess Ching’e. He’s curled up head down towards the right. His two rabbit ears, his head and part of his body is displayed in the five connected seas of Fecunditatis (Fruitfulness), Nectaris (Nectar), Tranquillitatis (Tranquility), Serenitatis (Serenity), and Imbrium (Showers). The rest of his body is slowly being revealed by the advancing terminator to the left. He is shown with a mortar, the sea Nubium (Clouds) and pestle pounding out medicine according to Chinese mythology.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Chinese lunar landers have been named Chang’e, and the rovers named Yutu.
Ephemeris: 02/23/2024 – The rabbit in the Moon
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Friday, February 23rd. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 6:21, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:29. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 7:52 tomorrow morning.
Even though it is a day before full the moon, will be full at 7:30 tomorrow morning. So tonight will be the closest that we’ll see the full moon this lunation. If one looks at the Moon most of us can see the face of the Man in the Moon. A rabbit, can also be seen. To the Chinese the rabbit here was named Yutu also known as the Jade Rabbit, the pet of the moon goddess Chang’e. To them, it was a rabbit pounding medicine with a mortar and pestle. At 8 o’clock tonight it resides along the left side of the Moon. Its head and body are seen in the dark areas of the Moon we call seas. Its ears are near the top of the moon at 8:00 with his head and body bent down on the left. Near the bottom of The moon is the mortar and pestle with which he’s pounding medicine.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT –5 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum:
07/15/2021 – Ephemeris – What the Chinese saw in the face of the Moon
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Thursday, July 15th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 9:25, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:12. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 12:45 tomorrow morning.
Looking at the Moon tonight with the naked eye or binoculars, the dark patches called seas, which are really lava filled plains, make out the ears, head, and top part of the body of a rabbit that appears upside down. It’s the Chinese Jade Rabbit, Yutu. The seas involved, with their English names are: Serenity, the top of its body; Tranquility, its head; the more prominent ear is Fertility; while the other ear is a combination of the Bay of Roughness and Sea of Nectar. Yutu is the pet rabbit of the Moon goddess Chang’e, who flew to the Moon to escape her pursuers. The Chinese space agency has named all their moon landers Chang’e and their lunar rovers Yutu in their honor.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hr). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Moon tonight with the Jade Rabbit delineated in the seas and one bay the dark lava covered plains of the Moon. Created using Stellarium.
The Jade Rabbit seen on a full moon rotated close to what tonight’s Moon is. Actually, the ancient Chinese saw the rabbit pounding medicine.
09/24/2018 – Ephemeris – The harvest moon and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
Ephemeris for Monday, September 24th. The Sun will rise at 7:32. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 7:36. The Moon, at full today, will rise at 7:51 this evening.
Tonight at 10:53 p.m. the Moon will be full. And since it’s only two days past the autumnal equinox, this makes it the Harvest Moon. This full moon also marks the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival to honor the Moon and the story of Chang’e a mortal woman to took an elixir and flew off to the Moon and became a goddess. Another story revolves around the Jade Rabbit pounding Medicine. I talked about the figure of a rabbit seen on the face of the Moon last Monday. He is a companion to Chang’e, and has a mortar on the Moon with him. He pounds out the medicine that makes the inhabitants of the sky immortal. The Chinese lunar probes are named Chang’e. Chang’e 3 landed on the Moon in 2013 and sent out a lunar rover named Yutu , the Jade Rabbit.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Chang’e 3 Lander on the Moon. Credit China National Space Administration 
Yutu Rover on the Moon. Credit China National Space Administration.
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