Why do moon phases appear different in different hemispheres?
I believe the only difference will be that in the north, the shadow appears to move across the moon from right to left, and in the south the shadow appears to move from left to right. Apart from that, the timing of the phases is the same. The apparent difference in direction happens because observers in the north are looking toward the south as they view the moon. The ‘upper’ edge of the moon is the northernmost edge, and the lower edge is the southernmost edge. Observers in the southern hemisphere are looking at the same moon, but for them the ‘upper’ edge of the moon is the southern edge. The lower edge is the northernmost edge, the one that we see as the ‘top’. For another way of understanding it, do this on a night when the moon is roughly half lit and half dark. Stand outside with your back to the moon. With the help of a couple of friends, bend over backwards (don’t turn around) until you can see the moon. You are now seeing it from roughly the same perspective as a person at you
