Hi John & All:
 
  It was with a certain.... ummmm.... how do I say.... "interest", that I read the comments from the people at the "rumormill" website, concerning the lunar orbit.  I'd like to address some of those issues, so that the Doves aren't led astray by the information presented.
 
  Now, for the kicker. Not only did Mr. Loony Moony rise late,
but once again he moved 4 degrees farther west at the point of
rising! Point of rising was at 124 degrees east, southeast off
of magnetic north.
 
  My response:
 
  The moon (as well as the sun), rises in the east.  While it can subsequently rise at a point that is further north or south of its previous spot on the eastern horizon, it cannot rise further from or to the west (of anything).
 
  Why is the moon rising at this latitude only 56 degrees
away from due south with less than 6 weeks to go before
the summer solstice? By now, that sucker should have been
transiting high in the sky. Since the moon is supposed to be
in a more or less equatorial orbit, that means that once the
northern hemisphere begins to tilt away from the sun, the
moon will disappear from view all together in no time at all.
 
  My response:
 
  Actually, the lunar orbit is ecliptical (following the path of the sun), not equatorial (following the path of the earth's projected equator -- called the "celestial equator").
 
  Why is the moon rising at this latitude only 56 degrees
away from due south with less than 6 weeks to go before
the summer solstice? By now, that sucker should have been
transiting high in the sky. Since the moon is supposed to be
in a more or less equatorial orbit, that means that once the
northern hemisphere begins to tilt away from the sun, the
moon will disappear from view all together in no time at all.
 
  My response:
 
  Hate to say it, but this is the blind leading the blind.  Scary too, because people will feed off it and come back with their own pseudo-theories... which doesn't help our Christian witness to the unsaved.
 
 
 As mentioned previously, the moon follows extremely close to the same path taken by the sun in the sky (the ecliptic).  While the sun takes a full year to complete one circuit, the moon does so every 29.5 - 30 days (the lunar cycle).
 
  While the moon speeds along the ecliptic about every 29.5 days, it will cross back and forth over the celestial equator twice.  During its cycle, it spends approximately half its time above the celestial equator, and half its time below it.
 
  During spring and summer (between vernal and autumnal equinoxes), it is generally below the celestial equator near the time of full moon, and above it when closest to new moon.
 
  Sometime near the mid-point of the vernal and autumnal equinoxes (June 21st), is when the moon is at its lowest point below the celestial equator (almost directly opposite the position taken by the sun, high in the sky).... contrary to the position being espoused by the author.
 
  During the fall and winter (between autumnal and vernal equinoxes), the moon is in the exact opposite position -- above the celestial equator at full moon, and below it when closest to new moon.  Similarly, it reaches its highest point above the celestial equator, at mid-point between the autumnal and vernal equinoxes (near or about December 21st), when the sun is nearest its lowest point in the sky.
 
  Now as to the hour or so difference in moonrise times, I would think he is likely not applying the charts properly.
 
  See ya in the air,
 
  Eric