The result is a thin slice of light resembling a nail. Once the Moon moved along in its orbit, we begin to observe its dayside. The new moon is the only moment in the lunar cycle when we can witness a solar eclipse, and it is the only time the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth. In other words, the Moon is perfectly lined up between the Earth and the Sun.Īs a result, the part of the Moon facing us appears dark and in shadow because we only see the side that is not lit by the Sun. The cycle of the lunar phases begins with the New Moon.Īt New Moon, the Moon appears to us on Earth completely dark and unilluminated because its unlit side is facing our planet.Īccording to modern astronomy, the new moon occurs when the Sun and the Moon are at the same geocentric ecliptic longitude. Let's take an in-depth look at each one of the Moon phases in order: The only phases that cannot be seen in the day are the new moon and the full moon.įrom an astronomical perspective, the lunar cycle has four main phases and four intermediate phases. Last but least, during new moons and full moons, the Earth gets more extreme high and low tides due to the combined gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon. That is to say, there's no perpetual dark side of the moon. The only difference is that those who live south of the equator see the Moon "upside down" with the reverse side lit when compared to those located north of the equator.Īlso, although the same side of the Moon is facing toward the Earth throughout the month, the Moon has no side that is constantly dark. So, it's our perspective of the Moon's sunlit appearance that changes as it orbits Earth.īut there are more interesting facts about the moon cycle.Įveryone on planet Earth sees the same phases of the Moon. Interestingly and not coincidentally, the words "moon" and "month" come from the same root. The lunar cycle takes 29.53 days - nearly a month - to complete, allowing us to see it changing and morphing from new moon to new moon. The percentage of illumination also varies during each phase, ranging from zero percent during the new phase to 100 percent during the full phase. The Moon completes an orbit - or revolution - around the Earth in 27.32 days, similar to how the Earth goes around the Sun in 365 days.Īs a result, the Moon sometimes finds itself hidden, partially hidden, partially lit, or fully lit up by the Sun, depending on whether it is blocked or not by the planet we live on. So, why does the Moon change shape throughout the month? The Sun is actually the only source of light in the solar system. Why? Because The Moon doesn't produce or emit its own light. The Moon simply reflects the light of the Sun, and its bright part experiences daytime, just like any other planet in the Solar System. There are several myths and misconceptions about the Moon, its apparent brightness, and its phases.įor instance, the concept of moonlight is nothing but sunlight reflecting off the Moon's surface. The lunar cycle is the result of the interaction between the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth.
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