Moon Phases |
First Quarter Moon
Full Moon
The full moon occurs when the Moon lies on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. The moon as seen from the surface of the earth is fully illuminated by the sun at this time, presenting a "full" round disc to viewers on earth. As always, only half the total surface of the moon is illuminated.
A full moon is the only time when a lunar eclipse is possible; at that time the moon may move through the shadow cast by the earth. However, because of the tilt of the moon's orbit around the earth relative to the earth's orbit around the sun, the moon may pass above or below the shadow, so a lunar eclipse does not occur at every full moon. Full moons are generally a poor time to conduct astronomical observations, since the bright reflected sunlight from the moon overwhelms the dimmer light from stars.
Last Quarter Moon
Current Moon Phase
by the U.S. Naval Observatory
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Names and images of the |
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The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon appear as if it is changing shape in the sky. This is caused by the different angles from which we see the bright part of the Moon's surface. These are called "phases" of the Moon. Of course, the Moon doesn't generate any light itself; it just reflects the light of the Sun. The Moon passes through four major shapes during a cycle that repeats itself every 29.5 days. The phases always follow one another in the same order. |
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Waxing Crescent Moon |
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Waxing Gibbous Moon |
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Waning Gibbous Moon |
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Waning Crescent Moon |
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In the northern hemisphere, if the right side of the Moon is dark, the light part is shrinking: the Moon is waning (moving towards a new Moon). If the left side is dark, the Moon is waxing (moving towards a full Moon). The acronym mnemonic "DOC" represents this ("D" is the waxing Moon; "O" the full moon; and "C" the waning moon). In the Southern hemisphere, this is reversed, and the mnemonic is "COD". |
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| Current Moon Phases Screensaver for Microsoft Windows | |
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| Opinions about the StarMessage screensaver by other users like you | |
| ? | I downloaded the trial and was so pleased with it I HAD to register it. It's great to look at, its a good communication tool. I leave greetings, messages there for other family members. Its amazing and practical, worth every penny and A+ customer support. |
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Janice Brown |
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| ? | This is by far the very best screen saver one can find. Lost hard drives etc....I will reinstall each and every time. Have had since 98 and wouldn't change it for one second. Who can ask for more than the 'moon and stars'? |
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