Full Moon

Did you notice the full moon last night? It is really high in the sky (in the northern hemisphere). In snow-covered places in the northern hemisphere, the moonlight must have looked like daylight last night.

Have you wondered why? It is hard to explain without a diagram, but these nice folks posted a nice diagram...
http://www.wonderquest.com/solstice-figure.htm

Since axis of rotation of the the earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane, the noon-time sun is higher in the summer and lower in the winter. You knew that, but have you noticed that a full moon does just the opposite (lowest in summer, highest in winter)? That is because the full moon in winter is in the same location (relative to the stars and the tilt of the earth's axis) as the summer sun, and vice versa. I have to strain my brain (and peak at the diagram), but I think in the spring, the first quarter moon is highest, and in the autumn, the last quarter is highest. As written, I think this last paragraph applies to the southern hemisphere as well.