Navy Stats

The US Navy sets the clocks of the world, synching computers worldwide in the wee hours of the mornings so that a gradual slowing is disguised. All sing the same tune! But the Moon is not dialing up the US Navy clock in the middle of the night, to sync, so it stands as a true indicator of the rate of slowing as we approach 2003. Per my 1991 book, The Solar System, a Practical Guide, “the time between successive full moons, known as the synodic moon, is 29.53 days long”. But per the statistics reported by none other than the US Navy, the yearly average is more or less than this amount. In 1999 it was 29.53916 and in 2000 it was 29.55375.

Jan  2, 1999  2:49 AM
Jan 31, 1999  4:06 PM (29 days 12 hr 55 min)
Mar  2, 1999  6:58 AM (29 days 14 hr 52 min)
Mar 31, 1999 10:49 PM (29 days 15 hr 51 min)
Apr 30, 1999  2:55 PM (29 days 14 hr  6 min)
May 30, 1999  6:40 AM (29 days 14 hr 45 min)
Jun 28, 1999  9:37 PM (29 days 14 hr 57 min)
Jul 28, 1999 11:25 AM (29 days 13 hr 48 min)
Aug 26, 1999 11:49 PM (29 days 12 hr 24 min)
Sep 25, 1999 10:51 AM (29 days 11 hr  3 min)
Oct 24, 1999  9:02 PM (29 days 10 hr 11 min)
Nov 23, 1999  7:04 AM (29 days 10 hr  2 min)
Dec 22, 1999  5:31 PM (29 days 10 hr 27 min)

1999 Average 29 days 12.94 hr/mo = 29.53916

Jan 21, 2000  4:40 AM (29 days 11 hr  9 min)
Feb 19, 2000  4:27 PM (29 days 11 hr 47 min)
Mar 20, 2000  4:41 AM (29 days 12 hr 14 min)
Apr 18, 2000  5:41 PM (29 days 13 hr  0 min)
May 18, 2000  7:34 AM (29 days 13 hr 53 min)
Jun 16, 2000 10:27 PM (29 days 14 hr 53 min)
Jul 16, 2000  1:55 PM (29 days 15 hr 28 min)
Aug 15, 2000  5:13 AM (29 days 15 hr 18 min)
Sep 13, 2000  7:37 PM (29 days 14 hr 24 min)
Oct 13, 2000  8:53 AM (29 days 13 hr 16 min)
Nov 11, 2000  9:15 PM (29 days 12 hr 22 min)
Dec 11, 2000  9:03 AM (29 days 11 hr 48 min)

2000 Average 29 days 13.29 hr/mo = 29.55375

Offered by Nancy.