why phases of the moon occur?
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The Moon has phases because it orbits Earth, which causes the portion we see illuminated to change. The Moon takes 27.3 days to orbit Earth, but the lunar phase cycle (from new Moon to new Moon) is 29.5 days. ... As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
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How often does a full moon occur? A full moon occurs every 29.5 days and is when the Moon is completely illuminated by the Sun's rays. It occurs when the Earth is directly aligned between the Sun and the Moon.
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For instance, the new moon is the first lunar phase, and it's when the sun and the moon are aligned. A solar eclipse, on the other hand, occurs when the moon moves between the sun and earth, which ultimately blocks the sunlight from reaching earth.
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Rings around the Moon are caused when moonlight passes through thin clouds of ice crystals high in Earth's atmosphere. As moonlight passes through the ice crystals, it is bent in a way similar to light passing through a lens. The shape of the ice crystals causes the moonlight to be focused into a ring.
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A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun, and the Earth's shadow obscures the moon or a portion of it. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking all or a portion of the Sun. An eclipse can be total, partial, or annular.
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Rather, the term is derived from the concept of the tide "springing forth." Spring tides occur twice each lunar month all year long without regard to the season. Neap tides, which also occur twice a month, happen when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other. ... This occurs twice each month.
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The Moon phase also plays a part in the tidal range. ... During these Moon phases, the solar tide coincides with the lunar tide because the Sun and the Moon are aligned with Earth, and their gravitational forces combine to pull the ocean's water in the same direction. These tides are known as spring tides or king tides.
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Some nights when we look up at the moon, it is full and bright; sometimes it is just a sliver of silvery light. These changes in appearance are the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits Earth, it cycles through eight distinct phases. The four primary phases occur about a week apart.
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Answer: The phases of the moon do not happen on the same days each month because the moon's orbit around the Earth does not take exactly one month. ... Unfortunately, 12 full moons do not equal one 365 day year. It's not even close.
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The main phases (new, first quarter, half, third quarter and full) are each between five and six days long, but the amount of the Moon's visible surface that is reflecting sunlight is changing constantly.
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Just like the Earth, half of the Moon is lit by the Sun while the other half is in darkness. The phases we see result from the angle the Moon makes with the Sun as viewed from Earth.
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A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth, sun and moon align in space, with Earth between the sun and moon. ... A solar eclipse happens at the opposite phase of the moon – new moon – when the moon passes between the sun and Earth.
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– It's the moon phase halfway between new moon and full moon. ... – As viewed from anywhere on Earth, a first quarter moon appears at its highest in the sky at sunset. It sets around the middle of the night. – It's called a quarter moon, but, from Earth, it looks half-illuminated, like half a pie.
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The Moon today is in a Waxing Gibbous phase. This phase is when the moon is more than 50% illuminated but not yet a Full Moon. The phase lasts round 7 days with the moon becoming more illuminated each day until the Full Moon.
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High tides happen when a location of earth is on the opposite side of the moon. At new moon, the moon is on the same position as the sun, so, when it is night, it means you are on the opposite side of the moon, and you have high tides.
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Around each new moon and full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon arrange themselves more or less along a line in space. Then the pull on the tides increases, because the gravity of the sun reinforces the moon's gravity.
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The moons phases There are 8 different moon phases. The first moon phase is the New Moon, next is the Waxing Crescent, then there is the First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent. It takes one month for the moon to orbit the earth once.