April 11
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A common muse among poets like Percy Bysshe Shelley and Sylvia Plath - the Moon has fascinated one and all!
But besides its beauty, it is no secret that the Earth’s natural satellite has captured the fancy of researchers too. From tidal effects to eclipses, the characteristics of the Moon still make a favorite aspect of science.
You see a different version of the Moon every night - from looking like a complete circle to a thin slice of cheese! While it may look like the Moon keeps changing its shape, it is actually the Sun reflecting its light on it from different directions.
Hello, there! I’m Stacy Smith, your neighborhood plant mom, and I’ve found my new favorite subject other than gardening. Quite a surprise, right? When it comes to exploring something new, I leave no stone unturned in learning everything I can. So, if you’re like me and want to understand the Moon cycles, stick around till the end.
First things first, let’s understand what a Moon cycle or lunar phase is. Well, you know the Moon is our natural satellite, so it revolves around the Earth. Also, the Moon does not have its own light. Wondering how it is so bright during the night sky?
You can experience this celestial beauty every night because it reflects the light of the Sun. Yes, there is practically no “moonlight.” In fact, the Sun is the only source of light in the entire solar system. Without the fiery star, the glimmering sky you see every night would not have been visible at all.
Since the Moon rotates and revolves around the Earth, the Sun can light just half of it. Thus, what you see from Earth is the Moon reflecting sunlight from various angles, making it look different each night. The Moon takes about 27 days to complete its revolution around the Earth, and during this time, you can witness eight cycles altogether.
Now that you’ve understood what a Moon cycle/phase is, let’s take a look at the eight different phases.
This is when you can’t see the Moon at night. The new Moon phase is when it is right between the Earth and the Sun, with its unlit portion facing the Earth. It is during this phase that a solar eclipse can occur.
Albeit invincible to the naked eye, Thierry Legault, a French astronomer, successfully captured a new moon - of course, with some special cameras and astrophotography experience. The picture shows a faint lunar crescent which is called a “young moon” in astronomy.
A young Moon appears right after a new moon, for a day or two. Unlike astronomers, most people often confuse the meaning of the two terms.
Seen from the Northern Hemisphere, a waxing crescent Moon is when you see a thin crescent that enlarges or “waxes” every night.
Not something to be proud of, but I’ll admit, for the longest time, I confused the phenomenon of the lunar eclipse with that of a waxing and waning moon. But now that I know better, I’ll make it clear - the Earth’s shadow does not cover the “invisible” portion of the moon. It is the moon’s own shadow!
Just like how half of the Earth experiences nighttime due to its own shadow darkening it, the Moon’s shadow is what covers its “night” side. Contrary to what happens in a lunar eclipse, the Moon and the Sun are on the same side, as seen from the Earth.
As the Moon “waxes” in size, it eventually looks like half of a circle. You can see just half of the illuminated portion of the moon.
So, why is it called a quarter Moon when it looks half-lit? That’s because what you see is just half the moon’s bright side, making it just a quarter of the celestial body. Moreover, by this time, the Moon has covered a quarter of its journey around the Earth.
While this Moon phase is commonly known as a half-moon, it is not an official term. This phase is visible a week after the new Moon.
This is the cycle when more than half of the illuminated fragment of the Moon is visible from the Earth. Interestingly, the word “gibbous” originated from a Latin word that means “hump-backed.”
When the Moon reaches a point where it is directly opposite to the Sun, with the Earth in between, you can see a full Moon. It reflects sunlight in its entirety, thus, forming a complete circle. For a day or two, you can witness the entire “day” side of the moon.
While a full Moon appears continuously for a maximum of three nights, astronomers define it as full only when it is precisely 180 degrees opposite to the Sun. A lunar eclipse occurs during the full Moon phase only.
As opposed to a waxing moon, waning is when the Moon’s size appears to decrease each night. During this phase, you can see more than half of the celestial body as it begins to diminish.
Unlike a full Moon, a waning gibbous rises later at night, a few hours after sunset. Consequently, it sets way after sunrise, often appearing like a pale ghost in the early morning sky.
Although I’ve never witnessed the late-night shenanigans of our very own satellite, I’m glad the gibbous phase offers me a chance to appreciate its beauty in the morning.
As the Moon “wanes” further, just half of its illuminated portion is visible from the Earth. This is because half of the portion receives the sunlight while the rest is submerged in its own shadow.
A last quarter Moon rises at midnight, reaches its peak at dawn, and sets around noon.
This cycle is similar to a waxing crescent Moon, except the Moon continues decreasing in size. This is the last phase, and thereafter, the cycle repeats itself, starting from the new Moon.
I have been hearing the phrase, “once in a blue moon…” all my life but little did I know about this relatively rare occurrence. A blue Moon is the second full Moon in a month, which takes around two and a half years to occur.
And if you’re wondering - the Moon does not look blue!
Since the moon’s orbit around the Earth is tilted, the distance between the two varies accordingly. So, when a full Moon syncs with it being the closest to the Earth, the lunar orb becomes brighter and larger. This phenomenon is known as a supermoon, and I’m going to make sure I catch a glimpse of it this year!
So, I mentioned before that the lunar eclipse may happen during the full Moon phase. This phenomenon develops when the Earth and the Moon move in such a way that the former comes between its natural satellite and the Sun.
There are two kinds of lunar eclipses - total and partial. As the names suggest, a total eclipse is when the Earth entirely overshadows the Moon. However, a partial lunar eclipse is when the Earth shadows a smaller portion of the Moon.
Since most of my days are spent out on my lawn, I often crash on my bed pretty early. So, although I’ve never witnessed a lunar eclipse, my research has made me visualize all of it in vivid detail!
I knew that the Moon revolves around the Earth, but I never realized that its orbit is tilted, just enough for me to witness an eclipse twice a year. At that time, it passes through the Earth’s shadow, causing a total or partial eclipse. And yes, you guessed it right - this happens about twice a year (at the most, five times)!
Also, the Earth’s shadow is called the umbra and makes the Moon look red since the atmosphere disperses the sunlight.
A lot of people have grown up studying about the Moon and reading poems about its beauty, but how much of it do they even retain? Thus, when the Moon suddenly struck my fancy, I had to go back to the basics.
And there you have it – everything you need to know about the Moon cycles. For starters, I wanted to keep things short and simple, so it was best to introduce you to the phases of the moon. With all of my research, I cannot wait to share more. But I’ll save that for next time.
I hope this informational guide helped you learn something new or refresh your memory from fifth grade! I’ll be back with more interesting Moon facts and myths next time.
Till then, keep aiming for the moon!
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