Astronomical Observation

[beamjockey]

In today's otherwise charming Google Doodle, an animation celebrating Earth Day*, the phase of the Moon is wrong.

*As seen from my location within the U.S. Your Doodle may vary.

Comments

[holyoutlaw]

Each day/night cycle appears to be a season, with the moon another quarter through ITS cycle.

[derekl1963]

Not only is the phase wrong... the dark portion is clear (you can see stars through it).

[agrumer]

They got the number of fish wrong for my location.

[maiac]

Also, the Earth is not flat.

[msminlr]

that may be a Discworld joke.

[maiac]

I'd love it if it were a Discworld joke, but -- where are the elephants?

[msminlr]

Maybe it was just an excuse to let the creek turn into an icicle in the winter.

[tlunquist]

But there are critters in the caves! And you can scatter the dandelion seeds! And you can make it rain!

I suspect they weren't intending for the doodle to represent any one particular day, hence the lack of consideration of the phase of the moon. The fact that you can see stars through the dark part is a failure, though.

[beamjockey]

I suspect they weren't intending for the doodle to represent any one particular day, hence the lack of consideration of the phase of the moon.

The Sun sets on the right. The Moon rises on the left. The rightward portion of the Moon should be illuminated. Because that's where the sunlight is coming from.

Doesn't matter what day it is.

This is something artists should know.

[tlunquist]

Ah - I see what you're saying. I wasn't paying that close attention.