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Lunar phase refers to the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth.
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LUNAR PHASES As the moon circles the Earth, the shape of the moon appears to change; this is because different amounts of the illuminated part of the moon are facing us.
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new moonThe lunar phase which occurs when the Moon and Sun are in the same location in the sky. The moon is, therefore, not visible as the far side of the Moon is illuminated.
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This, along with Galileo noting that Venus exhibited a full set of phases resembling lunar phases, was seen as incompatible with the church's favoured model of the Earth at the centre of the universe and led to much controversy.
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You can use the illustration of the lunar phases at the top to find out the time of day when the Moon will be visible. The Sun is at the right of the figure so a person at position (A) on the Earth (e.g., Los Angeles, CA) sees the Sun on the meridian.
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A cycle of Lunar Phases (a Lunation)is completed in approximately 29.5 days so any month except February can have a Blue Moon. Typically, a Blue Moon occurs roughly every two and a half years, hence the expression "Once in a Blue Moon".
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Lunar Phase Animation. Galileo Moon Encounter. A dramatic view of the moon with Venus in the distance. Clementine images showing the Apollo 16 lunar landing site. Astronauts walking near lunar lander and US flag.
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From now on, the Babylonian astronomers were able to predict the lunar phases and positions. A similar system was used for the movements of the sun and the five planets (which the Babylonians called Nabû, Itar, Nergal, Marduk and Ninurta).
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We call this New Moon, the beginning of a new cycle of lunar phases. When the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon (5), the near side is the light side. We call this Full Moon, even though we only see half the Moon.
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As the Moon revolves around Earth, different parts of this face are illuminated by the Sun, leading to the lunar phases: a dark part of the face is separated from a light part by the solar terminator line.
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An arbitrary period of days, usually seven days; approximately equal to the number of days counted between the four phases of the Moon. (see Lunar Phases) [S92] Weinberg Angle (w) ...
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See also: Phase, Phases, Earth, Moon, Sun
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