Earth | Lunar Standstill

As most lunaphiles are aware, a Lunar Standstill  is occurring throughout 2025, reaching its peak in early November 2025. Specifically, the northern major lunar standstill moonrise is noted on November 7, 2025. This major lunar standstill event is part of the 18.6-year lunar nodal cycle, when the Moon reaches its most extreme northern and southern rising and setting points along the horizon. This event can be observed over a period spanning roughly two years, covering 2024 through 2026, with the peak of maximum standstill near March 2025 and significant standstill points continuing into late 2025.

Human beings noted the phenomenon of Lunar Standstills at least 10,000 years ago and built stone monuments to measure and record these events. Stonehenge is just one of these monuments, as was the Ziggurat at Ur in Mesopotamia (now in Iraq).

I stayed up all night on November 7 to witness this day of the Standstill, which was just two days after the Full Moon. It was a perfectly clear night and the woods was well-lit with moonlight. My only companion was a Barred Owl who serenaded me all night with its distinctive “Who cooks for all?” call. 

For the whole lowdown on lunar standstills and much else see the entertaining and informative Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are.