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The Moon then wanes as it passes through the gibbous moon, third-quarter moon, and crescent moon phases, before returning back to new moon. The terms old moon and new moon are not interchangeable. The "old moon" is a waning sliver (which eventually becomes undetectable to the naked eye) until the moment it aligns with the Sun and begins to wax ...
There are eight phases of the moon, which vary from partial to full illumination. The moon phases are also called lunar phases. These stages have different names that come from its shape and size at each phase. For example, the crescent moon is 'banana' shaped, and the half-moon is D-shaped. When the moon is nearly full, it is called a gibbous ...
A full moon sinking behind San Gorgonio Mountain, California, on a midsummer morning. Moonrise and moonset are times when the upper limb of the Moon appears above the horizon and disappears below it, respectively. The exact times depend on the lunar phase and declination, as well as the observer's location.
There are several types of lunar month. The term lunar month usually refers to the synodic month because it is the cycle of the visible phases of the Moon. Most of the following types of lunar month, except the distinction between the sidereal and tropical months, were first recognized in Babylonian lunar astronomy.
The most observed and familiar example of planetshine is earthshine on the Moon, which is most visible from the night side of Earth when the lunar phase is crescent or nearly new, [1] without the atmospheric brightness of the daytime sky. Typically, this results in the dark side of the Moon being bathed in a faint light.
Lunar nearside with major maria and craters labeled Earthshine reflecting off the Moon. The bright region at left is directly illuminated by sunlight, while the rest of the Moon is faintly lit by sunlight reflected off the Earth. Generally, the Moon can be viewed even with the naked eye, however it may be more enjoyable with optical instruments.
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The phase curve of the Moon [26] compared to Mercury. [1] The phase curve of the Moon approximately resembles that of Mercury due to the similarities of the surfaces and the lack of an atmosphere on either body. [27] Clementine spacecraft data analyzed by J. Hillier, B. Buratti and K. Hill [28] indicate a lunar opposition surge.