Cool Moon Facts by Whip

Real astronomy and dated history, with sources. Documented traditions and folklore. Modern lunar astrology · symbolic, not predictive.

16 May 1943 Waxing Gibbous, 89% lit

The Dambusters raid

617 Squadron flew the dams raid at sixty feet in the dark, on a date chosen for moonlight and water level.

The bouncing bomb had to be released at exactly 60 feet and 232 mph, at night, over water, and a 91% moon was the only thing making the surface visible. Two spotlights angled to converge at 60 feet solved the height problem; the Moon had to solve the rest.

Date
16 May 1943
Moon computed for
23:00 local time, UTC+2
Phase
Waxing Gibbous
Illuminated
89%

Source: Royal Air Force Museum

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