W5LUU's Moon Data for year 2008

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MOONDATA UPDATE-2008 AND RELATED COMMENTS By Derwin King, W5LUU

The earth-moon distance and the cosmic (sky) noise temperatures in the direction of the moon are predictable, cyclical variables that set the basic day-to-day quality of earth-moon-earth communications for frequencies below 1.0 GHz. Best conditions occur when:

  1. The Range Factor (earth-moon distance) is at an absolute minimum

  2. The Sky Temperature behind the moon, as viewed from earth, is the coldest along the moon path.

While Range Factor is frequency independent, Sky Temperature rapidly decreases with frequency, up to ~1 GHz and levels out. The EME signal-to-noise ratio, in dB, is usually degraded from the ideal by a factor (DGRD) (see below), which varies over hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly time periods. The DGRD Factors, in dB, for 144 and 432 MHz, and other pertinent EME data, are tabulated in the W5LUU WEEKEND MOON-DATA for 0000 UT on each Sunday of the upcoming year and provide a general guide to the basic EME weekend conditions. Ionospheric disturbances, local noise, and polarization mismatch will increase the “apparent” DGRD.

EME conditions will generally improve in 2008 with all moon perigees at north declinations, but on many weekends the moon is at Right Ascensions where Sky Noise is 1 to 4 dB above minimum and five Good weekends are negated by new moon.  Many weekdays will be Good or better.  Over the next 1-2 years as perigees occur near the best cold sky region, conditions will improve.  During the traditional ARRL EME Contest period there are no ideal, high declination weekends for VHF due to the high sky temperatures.  Dates will have to be a compromise.  For 1296 up, several high declination dates are near perigee and near ideal.

Definitions:

 W5LUU WEEKEND MOONDATA - 2008 FOR SUNDAYS AT 0000 UTC

Date
2008
Dec.
deg.
RA
hrs.
144 MHz Temp.K Range Factor dB DGRD, dB
144 MHz
DGRD, dB
432 MHz
Moon Phase CONDITIONS
Jan   06   - 27.7    17.0         905    2.14     8.2    3.8 NM – 2.5d           Very Poor    
13     - 2.9    23.1         244    1.15     2.3    1.5                Good
20     28.0      5.7         512    0.53     4.3    1.8 FM – 2.7d               Poor
27     - 2.9    12.0         259    1.77     3.2    2.1             Moderate
Feb.   03   - 28.0    17.6       2227    2.04   11.8    5.6             Very Poor
10       0.9    23.7         247    0.90     2.1    1.3 NM + 2.9d               Good
17     27.6      6.4         407    0.81     4.0    1.8             Moderate
24     - 1.5    12.4         306    1.84     3.8    2.4 FM  + 2.9d           Moderate
Mar    02   - 27.7    18.2       2732    2.01   12.6    6.5             Very Poor
09      5.3        0.3         262    0.61     2.0      1.0 NM + 1.3d Good but NM on 03/08
16     26.0      7.1         344    0.97     3.3    1.6             Moderate
23   - 10.2    12.9         313    1.99     4.0    2.5 FM + 2.6d           Moderate
30   - 26.8    18.8       1351    2.02     9.7     5.3             Very Poor
Apr   06       9.2      0.8         277    0.38     2.0       0.8 NM  - 3.9h        Good but NM
13     23.4      7.9         229     1.00     2.0       1.2                  Good
20   - 13.9    13.5         321    2.14     4.3      2.6 FM  - 9.9h               Poor
27   - 25.1    19.4         654    2.05     6.8    3.7             Very Poor
May   04     12.8      1.3         290    0.29     2.1    0.8   NM  - 1.5d                Good
11     20.1      8.6         186    0.92     1.3    1.0          VERY GOOD
18   - 17.5    14.0         350    2.25     4.7    2.8 FM – 2.1d                Poor
25   - 22.6    20.0         380    2.04     4.8     2.8                  Poor
Jun.   01     16.3      1.8         313    0.34     2.4    0.8 NM – 2.8d                Good
08     16.7      9.2         172    0.83     0.9    0.8          EXCELLENT
15   - 20.7    14.6         392    2.29     5.1    3.0 FM  - 3.7d                Poor
22   - 19.5    20.7         337    1.95     4.3    2.5                  Poor
29     19.7      2.4         351    0.48     2.9    1.1              Moderate
July   06     13.3      9.7         185    0.81     1.1    0.8 NM  + 2.9d        VERY GOOD
13   - 23.3    15.2         433    2.28     5.5    3.1                  Poor
20   - 16.0    21.3         341    1.78     4.1    2.3 FM  + 1.7d                Poor
27     22.9      3.1         364    0.62     3.2    1.3              Moderate
Aug   03       9.8    10.2         193    0.89     1.3    1.0 NM  + 1.4d   V. G. but NM 08/02
10   - 25.3    15.8         493    2.25     5.9    3.2              Very Poor
17   - 12.3    21.9         299    1.56     3.4    2.0 FM  + 2.7h             Moderate
24     25.4      3.9         363    0.69     3.2    1.3              Moderate
31       6.1    10.7         204    1.09     1.7    1.2 NM  + 4.0h        Good but NM
Sept   07   - 26.6    16.4         657    2.24      7.0      3.5                   Poor
14       8.6    22.3         252    1.34     2.6    1.7 FM  -  1.4d            Moderate
21     26.9      4.7         430    0.64     3.8    1.5              Moderate
28       2.0    11.3         222    1.35     2.2    1.5 NM  - 1.3d   Good but NM  09/29      
Oct.   05   - 27.2    17.0         867    2.26     8.1    3.9              Very Poor
12     - 4.9    22.9         244    1.19     2.4    1.9 FM  -  2.8d               Good
19     27.3      5.5         514    0.47     4.3    1.7                  Poor
26    - 2.6    11.8         251    1.59     2.9    1.9 NM – 2.9d            Moderate
Nov   02  - 27.2    17.6       2175    2.31   11.9    5.8              Very Poor
09    - 1.2    23.3         244    1.18     2.4    1.5                 Good
16    26.7      6.1         468    0.25     3.7    1.4 FM  + 2.7d            Moderate
23    - 7.2    12.4         303    1.75     3.7    2.3              Moderate
30   -26.6    18.2       2659    2.35   12.0    6.8 NM  + 2.3d            Very Poor
Dec   07      2.9    23.8         249     1.26     2.5    1.6                  Good
14    25.5      6.8         385    0.08     2.9    0.9 FM  + 1.3d             Moderate
21  - 11.4    13.0         313    1.79     3.8    2.3               Moderate
28  - 25.3    18.9       1152    2.33     9.3    5.3 NM  + 0.5d     Very Poor and NM

 

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