The moon is a mysterious and mystical satellite of the Earth. Its proximity affects the entire nature of the planet. Since ancient times, scientists have been studying the Moon and its influence on the processes taking place on Earth. Summer residents are guided by the lunar calendar in order to carry out work on their sites with greater efficiency. To do this, they must distinguish between all phases of the moon.
Instructions
Step 1
The lunar month lasts approximately 29.5 Earth days, from new moon to new moon. The lunar cycle is divided into four phases (quarters). The day of the satellite of the Earth is longer than the sun. Each subsequent lunar day comes later than the previous one. The rise of a night star can also appear on a clear day.
Step 2
The very first lunar day begins at the time of the new moon phase. The length of the month of the satellite of the Earth differs from the calendar one, and some of its days may have different durations. So, the month of the night star can include 29 or 30 days. This is due to the fact that the axes of rotation of the Earth and the Moon do not coincide.
Step 3
As with the Sun, the length of the Moon's day and month depends on the geographic location. At the equator, the entire day of the satellite of the Earth lasts the same.
Step 4
The most variable are the first and thirtieth days of the lunar month. They can last a whole earthly day or several minutes. The most accurate moment of the new moon is the alignment of the Sun and the Moon. At this time, the night star is not visible due to the shadow of the Earth. The period when the moon is not visible (new moon and the beginning of the first phase of the cycle) can last for several days.
Step 5
After the new moon, there is a growing moon (the first and second phases of the cycle). During the first quarter, only a narrow crescent of the satellite will be visible, resembling the letter "P" without a vertical stick. In the second phase, half and most of the night luminary is visible, at the very beginning of the quarter - exactly half of the sickle.
Step 6
At the end of the second phase and at the beginning of the third (15 and 16 lunar days), the side of the Moon facing the Earth is fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the time of the full moon, the middle of the lunar month.
Step 7
During the waning moon (the third and fourth phases of the cycle), the sickle begins to resemble the letter "C". The third quarter lasts from the full moon until the moment when the disk of the moon decreases to exactly half. The fourth phase ends on 29 or 30 lunar days, during the last day of the cycle (30 days), the sickle, as in the new moon, is not visible.
