PARBOABOA – Did you know that the shape of the moon changes every night? These changes are caused by the phases of the moon.
The phases of the moon are the changes in the shape of the moon that are always changing when viewed from Earth. This change is also known as the aspect of the moon.
Every night the moon shows a different shape. Sometimes the moon appears round, semicircular, or not visible at all.
Changes in the moon occur because of the position of the moon in its orbit with respect to the earth and the position of the earth in its orbit with respect to the sun.
So, how many phases of the moon affect its shape? Following Parboaboa will provide a full review.
Definition of Moon Phases
Understanding the phases of the moon (Photo: Parboaboa/Ratni)
The phases of the moon occur because of the revolution of the moon. Quoted from the book Geography of the Earth and Universe TourHartono’s work, the revolution of the moon is the movement of the earth which is in a circular orbit around the earth.
In language, the phases of the moon are a change in the shape of the moon that often occurs when viewed from the earth. This change occurs due to the phases of the moon depending on the position of the moon relative to the sun.
Why the sun? because the light seen on the moon at night is the result of the moon’s surface reflecting sunlight. This is because as a satellite of the earth, the moon does not have its own light.
How Many Phases of the Moon Are There?
How many phases of the moon are there (Photo: Parboaboa/Ratni)
The moon phase is the process of changing the shape of the moon which has a different shape every night.
Quoted from page BMKG, of a number of phases, there are four main phases, namely the new moon phase, the initial half-full phase (first quarter), the full phase, and the final half-full phase (last quarter).
These four phases occur sequentially in one lunar cycle, which lasts about 29.5 days (29 days 12 hours 44 minutes 03 seconds). These phases are the result of complex interactions between the relative positions of Earth, moon and sun in our solar system.
In addition to these four phases, the moon experiences four additional phases. So, how many moon phases are there in 8 or 6? In total, there are eight phases, which are as follows:
1. New Moon (New Moon)
New Moon is the phase in conjunction with the earth and the sun. In this phase, the moon is not exposed to sunlight at all and looks lost.
2. Early Crescent (Waxing Crescent)
The initial crescent is the phase of the moon that moves away from its point or position of conjunction with the sun. The part of the moon that is exposed to sunlight is only less than half which causes the moon to look like a crescent-like shape.
3. First Quarter
In this phase, the right half of the Moon starts to shine. This phase is called the first quarter because it is a quarter of the way from the new moon.
4. Early Convex (Waxing Gibbous)
Early convex is also known as waxing gibbous. Almost all of the Moon is illuminated and only a small portion of the left side is dark. More and more parts of the Moon get sunlight.
5. Full Moon
The full moon phase occurs when the Moon is 180 degrees from the Sun. Because the Moon’s orbit isn’t always aligned with that of the Earth and the Sun, we can still see the Moon. When the Moon’s orbit is in a straight line with the Earth and the Sun, the phenomenon of a lunar eclipse is occurring.
6. Convex End
Final convex The opposite of the initial convex, in this phase the Moon looks upside down from the previous phases. Most of the left side of the Moon is illuminated in this phase. Only a fraction of the right side of the Moon is dark.
7. Third Quarter
In this phase, the half of the Moon on the left will appear to be shining.
8. Last Crescent
The final crescent is also known as the waning crescent. Only a small part of the Moon on the left will be visible to the human eye. After going through the eight phases of the month, the Moon will repeat itself from the earliest phase, namely the new moon.
After these eight phases, the moon will repeat from phase 1, namely the new moon and again appear dark in the sky.
Factors Affecting Moon Phases
Moon phases and Earth-moon distance in 2023 (Photo: BMKG website)
In addition to the relative position of the Earth, moon and sun, there are several other factors that affect the appearance of the moon’s phases including:
Relative Position of Moon, Earth and Sun
The relative positions of the Earth, moon and sun are the main factors that affect the phases of the moon. When the moon is between the Earth and the sun, we observe the new moon phase. When the Earth is between the moon and the sun, we can see the phases of the full moon.
The moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse. As a result, the distance between the moon and Earth is not always constant. When the moon is closer, we may see the moon appear larger (the “Supermoon” phenomenon), while when the moon is farther away, its size appears smaller.
The tilt of the moon’s orbit relative to Earth’s orbit affects whether the moon will be above or below the solar horizon. If the moon crosses the solar horizon during the new moon phase, it can cause a solar eclipse. Conversely, if the Earth is between the moon and the sun, a lunar eclipse occurs.
Sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere during sunrise or sunset can affect the color of the moon’s appearance. This can cause the moon to appear redder or orange, which is often called a “blood moon” or “red moon”.
The gravity of other celestial bodies, such as planets, can also affect the movement of the moon. Although this influence is small relative to the gravity of Earth and the sun, it can have a noticeable effect on the moon’s orbit.
The Moon always faces Earth with the same side because its rotation period is the same as its orbital period. This results in us only seeing one side of the moon from Earth all the time.
Thus an explanation of how many phases of the moon there are. The moon phase consists of 8 phases as explained above. Please note, if the movement or revolution of the moon will spend an average of 27 days and the moon moves around 13 degrees per day.
2023-08-08 08:28:56
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