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Brief Explanation of the Moon Phases. Free Daily Moon Phases Website Module
By Admin (from 20/10/2012 @ 01:01:45, in en - Science and Society, read 1995 times)

The moon has a powerful allure - it is full of beauty, legend, myth and romance. Anyone with an interest in the moon or the phases of the moon - for whatever reason - should find some valuable information here, including a free current / daily moon phases website module, how to get a moon phases calendar software application, and other lunar phases information, including links. 

Free Daily Moon Phases Website Module

This "Current Moon" module provides basic information on the current moon phase. It is intended to be a helpful general reference.

You can put this moon phases module on your website.

CURRENT MOON

Brief Explanation of the Moon Phases

The phases of the moon are caused by the relative positions of the earth, sun, and moon. The moon goes around the earth in 27.3 days, or 27 days 7 hours 43 minutes, on average. This measurement is relative to the stars and is called the sidereal period or orbital period. However, because of the earth's motion around the sun, a complete moon cycle (New Moon to New Moon) appears to earthbound observers to take a couple of days longer: 29.5305882 days to be exact. This number is called the synodic period or "lunation", and is relative to the sun.

The sun always illuminates the half of the moon facing the sun (except during lunar eclipses, when the moon passes through the earth's shadow). When the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth, the moon appears "full" to us, a bright, round disk. When the moon is between the earth and the sun, it appears dark, a "new" moon. In between, the moon's illuminated surface appears to grow (wax) to full, then decreases (wanes) to the next new moon. The edge of the shadow (the terminator) is always curved, being an oblique view of a circle, giving the moon its familiar crescent shape.

(some of above information courtesy of NASA http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov)

Source: calculatorcat.com