M IS FOR MERIDIAN

by Peter Kokh Info
July 1987


The Replogle globes of Earth and Moon alike are divided into 15 degree longitudinal segments. For the Earth, this is a natural, since 15 degrees is the width of the idealized time zone ( 15 * 24 = 360 ). On the Moon, however, the slow daily crawl of the terminator line dividing sunshine from darkness is 12 degrees (12deg, 11min, 27sec). So for the purposes of settlers of the Moon or for people on Earth who want better to comprehend what life on the Moon would be like, Moon Globes should display meridians marked every 12 degrees. A Lunan student could then easily estimate by how many dates the sunth is retarded or advanced in his location as compared to other sites on the Moon.