Altitude of sun and moon?

[Student B]

I've read that the sun, moon, and planets all travel close to the ecliptic. But I see the sun reaches a low altitude this time of year—maybe 6 degrees. The moon is very high right now, maybe 56 degrees. Yet the moon is suppose to stay within  about 5 degrees of the ecliptic. Why is what I observe so different than what I read?

[allworlds]

The ecliptic is inclined relative to the equator. During northern hemisphere winter, the sun appears well south of the celestial equator and so doesn't rise very high. The full moon is directly opposite the sun so during winter it appears well north of the celestial equator and so rises high in the sky.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @Student B and welcome to SGL.

Did you see the word 'precession' in your reading. My guess it is a slight wobble or change in the angle of the Earth's axis, (which is approximately 23.5degrees), due to the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun when they are opposite each other. If anyone knows different, I stand corrected.

[Gfamily]

30 minutes ago, Student B said:

I've read that the sun, moon, and planets all travel close to the ecliptic. But I see the sun reaches a low altitude this time of year—maybe 6 degrees. The moon is very high right now, maybe 56 degrees. Yet the moon is suppose to stay within  about 5 degrees of the ecliptic. Why is what I observe so different than what I read?

It's because the daytime ecliptic is low in the winter and high in the summer.

Conversely, the nighttime ecliptic is high in the winter and low in the summer.

When you saw the sun it was in the daytime, and when you saw the moon it was nighttime. 

[Gfamily]

18 minutes ago, Philip R said:

My guess it is a slight wobble or change in the angle of the Earth's axis, (which is approximately 23.5degrees), due to the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun when they are opposite each other. 

This isn't the reason. 

[Student B]

Okay thank you! I think this sounds right:

"It's because the daytime ecliptic is low in the winter and high in the summer.

Conversely, the nighttime ecliptic is high in the winter and low in the summer.

When you saw the sun it was in the daytime, and when you saw the moon it was nighttime."

So, because the earth is tilting 23.5 degrees, we get the two solstices. But the altitude of the moon and stars on a winter night is high. At the sun's azimuth on January 6, it was pretty low, about 6 degrees. 12 hours later Alaska is facing space in the night sky. The earth is still tilted just like it was 12 hours earlier, but now I'm looking at plants and the moon, which are all at the height of their altitudes. I think I finally understand! Thank you!