![]() ![]() If the Sun and the Moon are aligned on Earth’s same side, then the Moon is termed as “new,” and the side of the Moon facing Earth is not illuminated by the Sun. The Waning Crescent Moon appears higher on the mid-summer – August 7 in the Northern Hemisphere / February 4 in the Southern Hemisphere – than on mid-winter – February 4 in the Northern Hemisphere / August 7 in the Southern Hemisphere. The Waning Gibbous Moon appears higher on the mid-autumn – November 7 in the Northern Hemisphere / May 5 in the Southern Hemisphere – than on mid-spring – May 5 in the Northern Hemisphere / November 7 in the Southern Hemisphere. The Waxing Gibbous Moon appears higher on mid-winter – February 4 in the Northern Hemisphere / August 7 in the Southern Hemisphere, than on the mid-summer – August 7 in the Northern Hemisphere / February 4 in the Southern Hemisphere. The Waxing Crescent Moon appears higher on the mid-spring – May 5 in the Northern Hemisphere / November 7 – Southern Hemisphere, than on the mid-autumn – November 7 in the Northern Hemisphere / May 5 in the Southern Hemisphere. ![]() The Full Moon appears higher on the winter solstice than on the summer solstice, while the Last Quarter Moon appears higher on the autumnal/fall equinox than on the spring equinox. The New Moon appears higher on the summer solstice than on the winter solstice, while the First Quarter Moon appears higher on the spring equinox than on the autumnal/fall equinox. Principal and Intermediate Phases of the Moonĭisc entirely in Sun's shadow - lit by earthshine only The most extended duration between the full Moon to new Moon, or vice versa, lasts for around 15 days and 14.5 hours, while the shortest period lasts only about 13 days and 22.5 hours. The term waxing is used for an intermediate stage when the Moon’s apparent shape is thickening, from new to full Moon, and the term waning is applied when it is thinning. The intermediate phases of the Moon last one-quarter of a synodic month, or 7.38 days on average. There are also intervals between these principal phases, where the Moon’s apparent shape is either crescent or gibbous. ![]() The Moon’s four principal phases occur when the Moon’s ecliptic longitude is at an angle to the Sun, as viewed from our planet, at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°, respectively.Īll of these phases appear at slightly different times at different locations on Earth. The darkest part of the Moon is the one always facing away from us, and it is commonly referred to as the dark side of the Moon. There are also four intermediate phases, Waxing Crescent, Waxing Gibbous, Waning Gibbous and Waning Crescent.Īpart from a couple of craters near the lunar poles, such as the famous Shoemaker crater, all parts of the Moon are susceptible to around 13.77 days of light, followed by 13.77 days of night. These phases last for around 7.4 days however, they vary slightly due to the Moon’s elliptical-shaped orbit. There are four principle lunar phases in the western culture, known as the New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Third Quarter. ![]()
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