78 FAQs about Phases of the Moon (The Astronomy Cafe)

 

Lunar Phase Calculator: 1800-2199: US Naval Observatory

Lunar Phase Calculator: 1 - 2246 : Lunar Outreach

Definitions: Textbook Definition of the Basic Phases


  1. Two of the lunar phases are called 'Balsamic' and 'Disseminating'. Why?
  2. Is there a name for the second New Moon in a month?
  3. Where can I find a lunar calendar for 1997+?
  4. What was the phase of the Moon on January 2, 1995?
  5. How can you tell the difference between an ordinary Full Moon and a Blue Moon?
  6. When will the Full Moon happen in February, 1998?
  7. What is a Pink Moon?
  8. If I add the length of a synodic lunar month to one lunar phase, why don't I get exactly the next lunar phase?
  9. Is 10 percent of the side facing us lit 10 percent of the way between new and Full Moon?
  10. How often does a 'Dry Moon' happen with the horns of the Moon pointed straight up?
  11. What is the relationship between Passover and the Full Moon?
  12. What are the scientific names for the lunar phases?
  13. Why don't all New Moons cast a shadow on the Earth?
  14. What are the dates of the New and Full Moons for the last 5 years?
  15. What phase will the Moon be in on December 31, 1999?
  16. What is the phase of the Moon when the Sun is on the meridian and the Moon is just at the horizon?
  17. When will the first Full Moons in 1997 happen from central USA?
  18. If a Blue Moon happens on January 31, how often does February not have a Full Moon?
  19. When did a Blue Moon fall in the same year as a Full Moon on Christmas Eve?
  20. When will the Moon rise on January 24,1997 from Ridgecrest, California?
  21. When will there be another Full Moon on Christmas Day?
  22. How many Full Moons have elapsed since November, 1988?
  23. Why does the Harvest Moon look bigger than other Full Moons?
  24. Does the Full Moon have any effect on humans or animals?
  25. Is the lunar synodic month 29.530072 or 29.53058 days long?
  26. Will there be a Full Moon between January 5-13, 1997?
  27. Why is the November Full Moon called the Beaver Moon?
  28. If there is a Full Moon in Singapore, will there be a Full Moon at exactly the same time in the USA?
  29. Where can I get a calendar of the lunar phases from 1997 to 2000?
  30. Between which phases is the sky moonless for at least 1/2 the night?
  31. Does the Full Moon affect crime statistics?
  32. How many years would it take for a Full Moon to reoccur at the same time on a given date?
  33. When will the next Full Moons occur on October 12?
  34. I have some Tibetan medicine to be taken on the next Full Moon. When will it happen?
  35. What years had Full Moons either on October 31 or November 1 since the year 1000 B.C.?
  36. Is the Moon brighter at its closest point in its orbit to the Earth?
  37. Is the Full Moon seen the same by everyone on the same day?
  38. If you drew a line bisecting the tips of the last quarter Moon, why does this give the wrong Sunrise time?
  39. I will be going fishing soon. How can I predict the lunar phase each day to improve my chances of catching fish?
  40. Why does the Harvest Moon seem to set just after sunset?
  41. At half Moon, why is the terminator a straight line when the Moon is a sphere?
  42. Is it true that every 2.5 million years, there will be a month without a Full Moon?
  43. Why does a Full Moon appear at a position at 8:00 PM one night, and at the same position at 10:00 Pm the next night?
  44. How did the American Indians name the Full Moons?
  45. How long does a Full Moon last?
  46. When does the Moon rise during each of its phases?
  47. When were the New and Full Moons during October, 1975?
  48. What are the names of the Full Moons during the year?
  49. What phase will the Moon be in on may 24, 1997?
  50. Was I born with a Full Moon on July 22, 1980?
  51. When was there a New Moon in June, 1967?
  52. How old is the Moon's crescent when you first start to see it with the naked eye?
  53. Will there be a Full Moon in the middle of June, 1996?
  54. Can a perfect Full Moon ever happen?
  55. Is the Moon always half lit?
  56. What is the youngest Moon after New Moon that has ever been seen?
  57. What are the times of the Full Moon for 1996?
  58. What was the synodical period of the Moon 5000 years ago, and is there a simple formula for finding it?
  59. What is the youngest Moon phase past New Moon that has ever been reported?
  60. Can you tell me the phases of the Moon for a particular location on the Earth and a particular time?
  61. What is a crescent Moon?
  62. What is a gibbous Moon?
  63. What phase is the Moon in in the daytime?
  64. What phase is the Moon in at night?
  65. What will the phases of the Moon be in July and August of the year 2010?
  66. How often is there a New Moon on the Winter Solstice?
  67. Can you tell if the Moon is waxing or waning by the appearance of the crescent?
  68. When will there be Full Moons in March, April and May of 1996?
  69. What do you call the crescent Moon when the points of the crescent are pointed straight up from the horizon?
  70. Where can I get software to predict when New and Full moons will happen?
  71. When will the Full Moon happen in January and February of 1996?
  72. What would the phases of the Moon be if on the first day of spring the Moon was at the Vernal Equinox or at the Summer Solstice?
  73. What is the time of moonrise on the day before and after Full Moon?
  74. What direction will the Moon rise on any given date?
  75. What was the Moon's phase on July 28, 1909?
  76. Where can I get information about daily lunar phases, rising/setting and sky location?
  77. What is the relationship between lunar phases and the Moon's position relative to the Sun?
  78. When will the next Full Moon happen on July 23 and when did the last one happen?


RETURN to the Question and Answer Index.