Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 10 March 1995:
Vol. 267. no. 5203, pp. 1481 - 1483
DOI: 10.1126/science.267.5203.1481
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Influence of Lunar Phase on Daily Global Temperatures

Robert C. Balling Jr. 1 and Randall S. Cerveny 1

1 Office of Climatology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.

A newly available data set of daily satellite-derived, lower-tropospheric global temperature anomalies provides an opportunity to assess the influence of lunar phase on planetary temperature. These results reveal a statistically significant 0.02 K modulation between new moon and full moon, with the warmest daily global temperatures over a synodic month coincident with the occurrence of the full moon. Spectral analysis of the daily temperature record confirms the presence of a periodicity that matches the lunar synodic (29.53-day) cycle. The precision of the satellite-based daily temperature record allows verification that the moon exerts a discernible influence on the short-term, global temperature record.

Submitted on November 8, 1994
Accepted on January 11, 1995


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Lunar Phase Influence on Global Temperatures.
J. C. Dyre (1995)
Science 269, 1284-1285
   PDF »
Lunar Phase Influence on Global Temperatures.
C. V. Voorhies (1995)
Science 269, 1285
   PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)