two horizons

Is it custom elsewhere? Along the beach people gathered on the edge of the sand to watch the sunset as they often did and salute the end of the day with the sea breeze and perhaps a beverage. Watching the light of the parting sun play upon the clouds as the gentle wash of the waves soothingly lapped upon the land.

This day was special though. April 22 1997. Today as the sun set the moon would rise huge and full upon the other end of the island. Note that the moon is fully above or on the horizon 3 minutes after sunset.

Estero Island is a 7 mile long sand bar in the shape of a shallow cresent. The southern end is trailing east by southeast a bit. The sun sets often in spring just over the west by northwest tip at the other end. The name estero I am to understand means oyster in Spanish. And the island is also called Ft. Myers Beach.

Here is a cut and paste of the days moonrise and sunset times.

U.S. Naval Observatory
Astronomical Applications Department

Sun and Moon Data for One Day

The following information is provided for Fort Myers Beach, Lee County, Florida (longitude W81.9, latitude N26.4):

        Tuesday
      22 April 1997         Eastern Daylight Time        

                       SUN
      Begin civil twilight       6:34 a.m.               
      Sunrise                    6:58 a.m.               
      Sun transit                1:26 p.m.               
      Sunset                     7:55 p.m.               
      End civil twilight         8:19 p.m.               

                       MOON
      Moonrise                   7:04 p.m. on preceding day
      Moon transit               1:01 a.m.               
      Moonset                    6:55 a.m.               
      Moonrise                   7:58 p.m.               
      Moonset                    7:35 a.m. on following day

Full Moon on 22 April 1997 at 4:33 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

I would be interested in predicting these events and hearing of them. The best for viewing would likely be a half moon and a setting sun. At least you could watch both without mirrors.

Anyway...we applauded that sunset. Is this a beach custom elsewhere?