What moon phase is it in right now or during any other day? Pick a particular date, month or year to find out what the Moon will probably look like on that day.
The Moon undergoes phases because of its orbit around the Earth, which changes the region that is lit as we look at it. Although Moon takes 27.3 days to travel around the Earth, the period between new and full moons is 29.5 days, called the Lunar Phase Cycle.
As Earth travels around 45 million miles around the Sun in the duration, it takes the Moon to complete one Earth's orbit, and the Moon must spend the additional 2.2 days "catch-up."
Every day, the Moon alters its appearance and spot in the sky. For this reason, we identify the Moon by its eight phases: New Moon, New Crescent Moon, First Quarter Moon, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Old Crescent. Observe how the phases vary over the Moon's 29.53 days cycle.
Because of its closeness to the Sun during the new moon phase, the side of the Moon that faces Earth is completely dark. Thus, the Moon lies between the Earth and the Sun. The Moon is partially illuminated in the first quarter, rising at sunset and set around six hours later. The Moon is positioned about Earth behind the Sun at the full Moon. The side of the Moon that faces Earth is completely exposed to sunlight as the Sun sets.
You can enter a certain City with the help of our Online Moon Calendar. Keep a close watch on the Moon in that region and record any variations. See the Moon's phases during the period of its 29.53-day cycle. You'll learn why lunar months don't exactly correlate to calendar months in the period.