Thursday, 27 June 2013

13


I figured i would start with Moon Phases; as the light given by the Moon can disrupt the vision of some of the constallations. The Moon can be as useful as the stars for finding out your location and for timing, depending on how you use it. The different phases can notify you on the general day you're on, whilst it can be used as a reference point to find stars that can tell you were you are.

I found this awesome site, moonconnection.com, which is this calender of what the moon will look like over a month, depending on what month you put in. (You can also change which hemisphere you look at and the year.)

Obviously the Moon phases change depending on the amount of light is reflected, the phases are as follows;
A Blue Moon, which is the second Full Moon of a single month, although sometimes it is defined as being the third Full Moon, as each season only has three Full Moons, whereas an added one would make a grand total of four in a season.
A Crescent Moon, a moon that is part way between a half moon and a new moon, or visa versa.
A Full Moon, a moon that appears in it's entirity, and depending on the time of the year and its arrival, it is given differing names;
January Moon After Yule, Wolf Moon, or Old Moon
February Snow Moon or Hunger Moon
March Sap Moon, Crow Moon, or Lenten Moon
April Grass Moon or Egg Moon
May Milk Moon or Planting Moon
June Rose Moon, Flower Moon, or Strawberry Moon
July Thunder Moon or Hay Moon
August Grain Moon or Green Corn Moon
September Fruit Moon or Harvest Moon
October Harvest Moon or Hunter's Moon
November Hunter's Moon, Frosty Moon, or Beaver Moon
December Moon Before Yule or Long Night Moon.
(Lifted from www.enchantedlearning.com.)
A Gibbous Moon, a moon that is changing from a Half Moon and a Full Moon, or visa versa.
A Half Moon, the obvious half circle, and due to the fact that the Moon, at this point, has completed a full quarter turn around the earth from the first position of a Full Moon. (Hence it is sometimes called a quarter moon.)
A New Moon is the name for when the moon is not visible.

The moon rises in the East and sets in the West just as the sun does, although the timing depends on the phase of the moon at that particular night. It will take up seventy extra minutes to rise than the night before it, hence sometimes the moon is visible when the sun is still up.

When the moon is a New Moon, it will rise with the sun and set with it, although after a few days where in waxes to become a Cresent Moon, then a Half Moon, etc, until it becomes a Full Moon. At which point it will rise during the day, continuing to rise later as each day pases, whilst it sets later into the night. Until, when at a Full Moon, the times have increased so the moon rises when the sun sets, and sets when the sun rises. At which point the moon will wane, essencially in reverse order as it rises during the night and sets in the day, later every day; until it will rise so late it will be rising with the sun. When it becomes the New Moon again.



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