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    Moon

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    nithansa
    The Moon's orbit takes approximately 29.5 days, known as the synodic period, for the Moon to appear in the same phase from Earth. However, the Moon's actual orbital period, seen from outside the solar system, is 27.3 days, known as the sidereal period. The difference is because Earth is moving in its orbit around the Sun at the same time. Complex equations are needed to precisely calculate the Moon's position and phase over time due to various gravitational forces. During new and full moons, eclipses are possible when the Moon lines up between Earth and the Sun, but this is uncommon due to the Moon's orbit being tilted relative to Earth's orbit.

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    Moon

    Uploaded by

    nithansa
    12 views1 page
    The Moon's orbit takes approximately 29.5 days, known as the synodic period, for the Moon to appear in the same phase from Earth. However, the Moon's actual orbital period, seen from outside the solar system, is 27.3 days, known as the sidereal period. The difference is because Earth is moving in its orbit around the Sun at the same time. Complex equations are needed to precisely calculate the Moon's position and phase over time due to various gravitational forces. During new and full moons, eclipses are possible when the Moon lines up between Earth and the Sun, but this is uncommon due to the Moon's orbit being tilted relative to Earth's orbit.

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    The Moon's orbit takes approximately 29.5 days, known as the synodic period, for the Moon to appear in the same phase from Earth. However, the Moon's actual orbital period, seen from outside the solar system, is 27.3 days, known as the sidereal period. The difference is because Earth is moving in its orbit around the Sun at the same time. Complex equations are needed to precisely calculate the Moon's position and phase over time due to various gravitational forces. During new and full moons, eclipses are possible when the Moon lines up between Earth and the Sun, but this is uncommon due to the Moon's orbit being tilted relative to Earth's orbit.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    12 views1 page

    Moon

    Uploaded by

    nithansa
    The Moon's orbit takes approximately 29.5 days, known as the synodic period, for the Moon to appear in the same phase from Earth. However, the Moon's actual orbital period, seen from outside the solar system, is 27.3 days, known as the sidereal period. The difference is because Earth is moving in its orbit around the Sun at the same time. Complex equations are needed to precisely calculate the Moon's position and phase over time due to various gravitational forces. During new and full moons, eclipses are possible when the Moon lines up between Earth and the Sun, but this is uncommon due to the Moon's orbit being tilted relative to Earth's orbit.

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    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
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    The Moon's Orbit You may have personally observed that the moon goes through a complete moon

    phases cycle in about one month. That's true, but it's not exactly one month. The synodic period or lunation is exactly 29.5305882 days. It's the time required for the moon to move to the same position (same phase) as seen by an observer on earth. If you were to view the moon cycling the earth from outside our solar system (the viewpoint of the stars), the time required is 27.3217 days, roughly two days less. This figure is called the sidereal period or orbital period. Why is the synodic period different from the sidereal period? The short answer is because on earth, we are viewing the moon from a moving platform: during the moon cycle, the earth has moved approximately one month along its year-long orbit around the sun, altering our angle of view with respect to the moon, and thus altering the phase. The earth's orbital direction is such that it lengthens the period for earthbound observers. Although the synodic and sidereal periods are exact numbers, the moon phase can't be precisely calculated by simple division of days because the moon's motion (orbital speed and position) is affected and perturbed by various forces of different strengths. Hence, complex equations are used to determine the exact position and phase of the moon at any given point in time. Also, looking at the diagram (and imagining it to scale), you may have wondered why, at a new moon, the moon doesn't block the sun, and at a full moon, why the earth doesn't block sunlight from reaching the moon. The reason is because the moon's orbit about the earth is about 5 degrees off from the earth-sun orbital plane. However, at special times during the year, the earth, moon, and sun do in fact "line up". When the moon blocks the sun or a part of it, it's called a solar eclipse, and it can only happen during the new moon phase. When the earth casts a shadow on the moon, it's called a lunar eclipse, and can only happen during the full moon phase. Roughly 4 to 7 eclipses happen in any given year, but most of them minor or "partial" eclipses. Major lunar or solar eclipses are relatively uncommon.

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