We are in the Midst of a Major Lunar Standstill!
It is taking place now, and it will continue through most of 2025.
A phenomenon known as a major lunar standstill is occurring. It only happens every 18.6 years when the moon rises and sets at its most extreme points on the horizon, while also climbing to its highest and lowest point in the sky.
Most people are familiar with the moon’s cycle and how it the bright part of the moon that we can see changes shape from crescent to full over a period of 28 days. In addition, you may have noticed that the moon changes its rising position along the horizon.
But, unknown to many, the moon has a much longer cycle called the major lunar standstill (MLS) which occurs every 18.6 years.
What is a Major Lunar Standstill?
A major lunar standstill (MLS) occurs when the tilts of both Earth and the moon are at their maximum so that the moon rise reaches its most northernly point along the horizon and then cycles to the most southernly point.
It’s confusing that it’s called a “standstill”. The moon doesn’t stand still but what stops for a period of time is the change of declination or the change of where it rises. For instance, this lunar standstill can be observed for approximately three years.
The last MLS was in 2006. If you would like to learn more technical information about the phenomenon, check out Wikipedia’s explanation.
Historical Sites Aligned with the MLS
Historical landmarks like Stonehenge, Callanish, and Newgrange in the British Isles seem to align with the moonrise and moonset points at times of a major lunar standstill, suggesting the event's significance in the past. A major site in the Four Corners area aligned with the MLS are Ancestral Puebloan ruins in Chimney Rock National Monument in Colorado. When standing at the site’s Great House Pueblo, the moon rises in between Chimney Rock and nearby Companion Rock.
The fact that this happens is believed to have influenced the construction of the Chacoan-style Great House atop a high mesa near Chimney Rock. In 1093 CE (formerly AD), a prevalent construction date for the Great House, the moon was rising between the rocks. The rising is visible for a few days throughout the year over the course of three years.
Chimney Rock National Monument
Chimney Rock National Monument is located between Pagosa Springs and Durango, Colorado. It was designated a national monument in 2012 and is currently one of twelve national monuments managed by the U.S. Forest Service not the National Park Service.
The Chimney Rock itself is approximately 315 feet tall. Next to it is Companion Rock, which is a popular nesting spot for Peregrine Falcons. The area was home to Ancestral Pueblo people about 1,000 years ago and is culturally significant for Native American tribes.
How to Visit
On Monday, October 21st, Chimney Rock National Monument will host a live event at the monument’s Amphitheater to explore the current MLS at this important Native American site and its relationship to Stonehenge and other worldwide locations. If you are interested in attending the live event, reservations are required. More information can be found here.
Access to the upper area of the monument is not open to the public during this event so the moonrise will be live streamed for attendees. If people were allowed to view it from the Great House, I would be there.
But for those of us who are not visiting the Monument in person, Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California will live cast a short presentation about Chimney Rock and the moonrise, starting at 9:45 p.m., MDT. The livestream can be accessed on the night of the event via: https://griffithobservatory.org/event/major-standstill-northern-moonrise-at-chimney-rock-colorado-oct-24 That site is a wealth of information about the event.
Next Time
The outlaw Johnny Ringo was infamous in his own right but became more so after the major motion pictures Tombstone and Wyatt Earp released in the early 1990s. He was portrayed as a master gunslinger and brigand leader, but in actuality he was neither. He was an interesting character none the less and what interested me most was how he died. I’ll share with you the facts about the desperado and how to visit his off-the-beaten-path grave.
Oh! I've been to Chimney Rock. Even took a picture of it.
Didn't know what it was. In this Substack post -
https://kenbarber.substack.com/p/a-big-big-road-trip
I mentioned that "I took no photos worth sharing for the first two days." Those photos that aren't worth sharing are of Chimney Rock.
Now I'm kicking myself. If only I had known...
Fascinated Jan, I didn’t know that about the moon! I’m so happy you shared this information. What an incredible phenomenal to experience!