Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Weather change to follow Red Moon

Rotorua Daily Post
1 Feb, 2016 03:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

PHOTO/FILE

PHOTO/FILE

Now we are into midsummer, midway between the summer solstice and the equinox.
In ancient times this was known as a cross-quarter and called Lughnasadh in the Celtic culture. The days are still scorching hot and the nights are short, but this will noticeably change by month's end.

The moon phases this month: last quarter is on February 1, new moon on February 8, first quarter on February 15 and the full moon on February 22.

This month's full moon is called the Red Moon, Corn Moon or Dog Moon.

Meteor showers this month are the Alpha Centaurids. This shower radiates from the star Alpha Centauri, the brightest star of the two pointers that point to the Southern Cross.

Its peak is on February 8, where you can expect to see several meteors per hour.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As for the planets, all the action is still in the morning sky although Jupiter is now rising at about 10.20pm and is the only planet visible in the evening. It passes due north about 4.12am.

After midnight, the morning planets rise. First Mars at 12.39am, followed by Saturn at 2.28am, then Venus at 4.07am and Mercury at about 4.41am.

This also means that we will be in for a succession of lunar conjunctions, starting with Mars on February 2 making a triangle with the moon and Alpha Librea. Next, on February 4, the moon rolls by Saturn and then forms a stunning triangle just before the breaking dawn with Venus and Mercury on February 7.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Venus and Mercury also form a conjunction on February 14, and the moon and Jupiter on February 24. These conjunctions are great photo opportunities.

Mercury is also at its greatest angle from the sun on February 3, the best time to view it.
- By Brian Hurren

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

05 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM

Chris Hipkins agreed to meet him in Wellington after the Prime Minister said 'no'.

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM
Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle in Canterbury

Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle in Canterbury

04 Jul 08:04 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP