The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and it orbits around our planet about once every 27.3 days. As the Moon orbits the Earth, it appears to go through a cycle of phases, each of which is associated with a specific shape of the Moon as seen from Earth. These phases are caused by the changing position of the Moon relative to the Sun and Earth as it travels in its orbit.
Phases of the Moon
There are eight main phases of the Moon, and they are typically referred to by their traditional names: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent. These phases are not evenly spaced out over the course of a month, as the time it takes for the Moon to orbit the Earth is not an even number of days. Instead, the phase of the Moon changes each day as the Moon moves around in its orbit.
New Moon: The Moon is not visible from Earth during the New Moon phase, as it is positioned between the Sun and Earth and the side of the Moon facing the Sun is fully illuminated. This phase marks the beginning of a new lunar month.
Waxing Crescent: As the Moon continues to orbit the Earth, the side facing the Earth becomes increasingly illuminated, and the Moon appears as a thin crescent in the sky. This phase is called the Waxing Crescent phase.
First Quarter: Half of the illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth during the First Quarter phase. This phase occurs about one week after the New Moon.
Waxing Gibbous: As the Moon continues to orbit the Earth, more and more of the illuminated side becomes visible, and the Moon appears as a larger crescent in the sky. This phase is called the Waxing Gibbous phase.
Full Moon: The Full Moon phase occurs when the entire illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth. This phase occurs about two weeks after the New Moon.
Waning Gibbous: After the Full Moon, the illuminated side of the Moon begins to shrink as the Moon moves further away from the Sun. The Moon appears as a large, waning crescent in the sky during the Waning Gibbous phase.
Third Quarter: Half of the illuminated side of the Moon is visible from Earth during the Third Quarter phase. This phase occurs about three weeks after the New Moon.
Waning Crescent: As the Moon continues to orbit the Earth, even less of the illuminated side becomes visible, and the Moon appears as a thin, waning crescent in the sky. This phase is called the Waning Crescent phase.
Blue Moon
A blue moon is not actually blue in color, but rather it refers to the occurrence of an additional full moon within a single calendar month. This phenomenon occurs about once every 2.7 years, on average, and it is caused by the fact that the lunar month (the time it takes for the Moon to orbit the Earth) is slightly shorter than the calendar month.
Technically, a blue moon can occur in any month, but it is most commonly used to refer to the second full moon in a calendar month. The first full moon of the month is known as a “calendar blue moon,” while the third full moon in a season with four full moons is known as a “seasonal blue moon.”
Blood Moons
A blood moon is a nickname for a total lunar eclipse, which occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sunlight from reaching the Moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon appears to be reddish in color, which is why it is often referred to as a “blood moon.”
There are several factors that contribute to the reddish color of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse. The Earth’s atmosphere scatters sunlight, and red light is scattered less than other colors. As a result, when the Earth blocks the sunlight from reaching the Moon, the only light that is able to reach the Moon is red light that has been scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere. This red light is then reflected by the Moon, giving it a reddish color.
The duration of a total lunar eclipse can vary, but they typically last for several hours. Total lunar eclipses are relatively rare events, and they can be seen from anywhere on the night side of the Earth.
Pink Moons
A pink moon is not actually pink in color, but rather it is a nickname for the full moon that occurs in April. This name is derived from the Native American Algonquin tribe, who named the full moons of each month to mark the changing seasons. The pink moon got its name from the pink flowers that bloom in the spring, such as wild ground phlox and moss pink.
It is worth noting that the full moon in April is not always pink in color. The color of the Moon is determined by the amount of dust and other particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, which can vary from month to month. When there are more particles in the atmosphere, the Moon can appear red, orange, or yellow in color. When there are fewer particles in the atmosphere, the Moon can appear white or blue in color.
In summary, moon phases are the different shapes of the Moon as seen from Earth, which are caused by the changing position of the Moon relative to the Sun and Earth as it orbits around our planet. A blue moon is an additional full moon within a single calendar month, while a blood moon is a nickname for a total lunar eclipse, during which the Moon appears reddish in color. A pink moon is the full moon that occurs in April, and it gets its name from the pink flowers that bloom in the spring.