• Mark Alan Lovewell

Full Moon and Extreme Tides

Tides will run higher and lower than normal in the coming week as the moon gets both closer to the earth and enters the full moon phase. Full Moon is next Friday. On Sunday, June 15, the moon will be closest in its routine orbit around the earth and this is called perigee. These two astronomical events coincide only a couple of times a year.

Tides are created by the gravitational pull of both the sun and moon on the earth’s oceans. There are times when the proximity of these two celestial bodies to our earth exerts more of a pull than we normally are accustomed.

When the moon is either in the New Moon phase or Full Moon phase, both the sun and moon give a little more of a tug on our oceans. But what makes next week more interesting is an additional fact: the moon is closer than normal, due to the elliptical nature of its orbit, and so its gravitational pull is stronger.

Pay attention next week. The early morning and late afternoon tides will run lower. Sand bars that aren’t usually seen will come to the surface. Shallow waters will be even more shallower. Boat operators need to pay attention to those areas that aren’t so deep.

Near noontime and closer to midnight, tides will run higher than normal. As the tide pushes higher, the wrackline on most beaches will be pushed higher.

 

Sunrise and Sunset
Day Sunrise Sunset
Fri., June 6 5:07 8:12
Sat., June 7 5:07 8:13
Sun., June 8 5:07 8:14
Mon., June 9 5:07 8:14
Tues., June 10 5:06 8:15
Wed., June 11 5:06 8:15
Thurs., June 12 5:06 8:16
Fri., June 13 5:06 8:16
Temperatures and Precipitations
Day Max (Fº) Min (Fº) Inches
May 30 63 37 0.00
May 31 63 51 0.00
June 1 64 49 0.00
June 2 72 46 0.00
June 3 75 53 0.00
June 4 72 53 0.01
June 5 67 55 0.05

 

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 65º F

Comments

Comment policy »

YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS

Subscribe or become a Friend of the Vineyard Gazette and receive our free newsletters and free and discounted tickets to Gazette events along with our award-winning news and photography.