Information about the journey to the Moon:
The Moon, Earth's celestial companion, dances through a fascinating cycle of phases, each offering a unique spectacle to stargazers. From the mysterious new moon to the brilliant full moon and the subtly waning crescent moon, here we explore easy-to-understand facts about the Moon's fascinating phases, its visibility, celestial mechanics and extraordinary lunar events.
You can use our Moon Position clock and check, for example, when is the next full moon and see the distance to the moon.
Phases of the Moon:
🌑 New Moon: At this time, the moon is invisible, hidden in darkness, because its illuminated side is turned away from the earth.
🌒 Waxing crescent: The waxing narrow crescent marks the beginning of the moon's journey towards the full moon.
🌓 First quarter: Half of the moon's face is illuminated, resembling a semicircle in the night sky.
🌔 Waxing Moon: The moon continues to wax and shows a larger illuminated portion as it approaches the full moon.
🌕 Full Moon: The moon dazzles us with its perfect illumination and shines in the sky.
🌖 Waning moon: The illuminated part of the moon gradually begins to wane in its fullness.
🌗 Last quarter: The crescent appears illuminated, similar to the second semicircle, but in the opposite direction.
🌘 Waning Crescent: The Moon's visibility diminishes further, and only a thin crescent sickle of the Moon is visible before it disappears back into darkness.
This picture is from the Wikipedia page where you can read more about the phases of the moon.
Daily changes in the phases of the moon: The moon's appearance gradually changes each day as it travel through its phases. The moon moves an average of 12-13 degrees to the east in the sky every day and its phase changes gradually.
Visibility of the moon in the sky: The moon is sometimes not visible for several days due to its position in relation to the sun and the earth. During a new moon, the illuminated side points away from us, making it invisible. Its visibility can also be affected by other factors, such as weather conditions, light pollution and atmospheric disturbances. On the other hand, the Moon can be visible for a long time, especially during waxing supermoons and full moons, when its illuminated side is visible in the night sky.
The moon's journey and its distance: The moon orbits the earth in an elliptical orbit, taking about 27.3 days to complete one revolution. At an average distance of about 384,400 kilometers (238,900 miles) from Earth, the Moon's proximity affects its appearance and size. During a supermoon, when the moon is closest to Earth, it can appear larger and brighter, while further away it appears slightly smaller.
13 full moon years: In rare cases, there may be 13 full moons in a year instead of the usual 12. A lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, which means that there is sometimes an extra full moon within in a one calendar month. This celestial phenomenon, often referred to as the "blue moon", adds a touch of intrigue and enchantment to our nights.
Eclipses: Eclipses are extraordinary events that occur when the sun, earth and moon are aligned in a certain positions. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and casts its shadow on our planet. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Moon to be covered in a red hue. We witness an average of two to four eclipses (both lunar and solar) per year depending on the alignment of these celestial bodies.
The continuation of the journey together with the moon: The phases of the moon, from new moon to full moon and beyond, offer a fascinating journey into our night sky. Understanding the moon's cyclical changes, observational patterns, celestial mechanics, and extraordinary lunar events allows us to appreciate the wonders of the cosmos. So the next time you look up and see the moon, let its beauty remind you of the celestial dance above and the mysteries waiting to be explored.
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Revealing the Phases of the Moon New Moon, Waxing crescent, First quarter, Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon, Last quarter, Waning Crescent, Distance to the Moon, Moon Eclipses, Blue Moon