Every 33 years, the earth, sun, and moon return to their initial positions. This cycle illustrates how their orbits shift and realign, offering us a repeated cosmic dance.
The earth orbits the sun in 365 days, while the moon circles the earth in 354 days. So, when the earth starts a new orbit, the moon is ahead by 11 days. To align the lunar and solar calendars, a 33-year cycle was created.
After 33 years, the moon has orbited an additional year (363 days), allowing it to catch up with the earth’s orbit.
The calculation
365 days in a year * 33 years = 12,045 days
354 earth days for a lunar year * 33 years + 11 days ahead for 33 years = 12045
After 33 years, an extra earth year is added to the moon’s orbit, bringing their positions back in sync. This calculation uses rounded days and doesn’t factor in leap years. Including leap years, the true cycle is 33 years, 213 days, and 22.22 hours.
33-year cycle in astronomy
As of now, the 33-year cycle holds no significance in astronomy. It’s just a fun fact often used to compare different calendars. However, some scientists think it could potentially predict major celestial events, like solar flares or meteor showers.
33-year cycle in media
The Netflix show, Dark, introduced the 33-year cycle, suggesting time travel occurs in 33-year intervals. This concept has sparked much debate about whether the 33-year cycle is real. It’s safe to say this idea was just a creative twist for their time travel story!