God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light

Understanding the Moon

1. Moon Rise & Set Times

2. Duration of Daylight vs Darkness
3. Fraction of Moon Light
4. Moon Altitude/Azimuth
5. Moon Phase Calculator
6. Find Rise & Set Times

Who’s not in darkness now? Source Data: Naval Data Services

30 day Calendar
New Moon
“These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall
proclaim in their seasons.” Leviticus 23 1st Day

Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to

him… on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of
the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. 2 Chronicles 2:4

Sabbath
2nd Day 3rd Day 4th Day 5th Day 6th Day 7th Day 8th Day

Sabbath
9th Day 10th Day 11th Day 12th Day 13th Day 14th Day 15th Day

Sabbath
th th th th th st
16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21 Day 22nd Day

Sabbath
rd th th th th th
23 Day 24 Day 25 Day 26 Day 27 Day 28 Day 29th Day

30th Day

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
29 day Calendar
The Farmer’s Almanac provides a lunar calendar
according to the Gregorian calendar.
Calendar-365 provides moon phases according to the
Gregorian calendar. 1st Day

2nd Day 3rd Day 4th Day 5th Day 6th Day 7th Day 8th Day

9th Day 10th Day 11th Day 12th Day 13th Day 14th Day 15th Day

16th Day 17th Day 18th Day 19th Day 20th Day 21st Day 22nd Day

23rd Day 24th Day 25th Day 26th Day 27th Day 28th Day 29th Day

The day is defined as the period when sunlight reaches the ground in the absence of local obstacles.
From the Earth, the Sun appears as a disc rather than a single point of light, so when the center of the
Sun is above the horizon, a disc of light is visible. In sunrise/sunset tables, the assumed semi-diameter
(apparent radius) of the Sun is 16 minutes of arc and the atmospheric refraction is assumed to be 34
minutes of arc. Their combination means that when the upper limb of Sun is on the visible horizon, its
center is 50 minutes of arc below the geometric horizon, which is the intersection with the celestial
sphere of a horizontal plane through the eye of the observer. These cumulative effects make the day
about 14 minutes longer than the night at the Equator and longer still towards the Poles. The real
equality of day and night only happens in places far enough from the Equator to have a seasonal
difference in day length of at least 7 minutes, actually occurring a few days towards the winter side of
each equinox.

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The
opposite of night is day (or "daytime" to distinguish it from "day" as used for a 24-hour period). The start
and end times of night vary based on factors such as season, latitude, longitude and time-zone. At any
given time, one side of the planet Earth is bathed in light from the Sun (the daytime) and the other side
of the Earth is in the shadow caused by the Earth blocking the light of the sun. This shadow is what we
call the darkness of night.

The Earth currently has an axial tilt of about 23.5°.[2] The axis remains tilted in the same direction
towards the stars throughout a year and this means that when a hemisphere (a northern or southern
half of the earth) is pointing away from the Sun at one point in the orbit then half an orbit later (half a
year later) this hemisphere will be pointing towards the Sun. This effect is the main cause of the seasons
(see effect of sun angle on climate). Whichever hemisphere is currently tilted toward the Sun
experiences more hours of sunlight each day, and the sunlight at midday also strikes the ground at an
angle nearer the vertical and thus delivers more energy per unit surface area.

† Tilt to its orbit in the Earth-Moon system. Moon's tilt is 1.5424° (0.02692 radians) to ecliptic

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
Like changes in precession and eccentricity, changes in tilt influence the relative strength of the seasons,
but the effects of the tilt cycle are particularly pronounced in the high latitudes where the great ice ages
began. An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor
towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator. The term equinox
can also be used in a broader sense, meaning the date when such a passage happens. The name
"equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the
night and day have approximately equal length.

Although the word equinox is often understood to mean "equal [day and] night", this is not strictly true.
For most locations on earth, there are two distinct identifiable days per year when the length of day and
night are closest to being equal; those days are referred to as the "equiluxes" to distinguish them from
the equinoxes. Equinoxes are points in time, but equiluxes are days. By convention, equiluxes are the
days where sunrise and sunset are closest to being exactly 12 hours apart.

The Earth at the start of the 4 (astronomical) seasons as seen from the north and ignoring the
atmosphere (no clouds, no twilight). The axial tilt of Earth and gyroscopic effects of the planet's daily
rotation keep the axis of rotation pointed at the same point in the sky. As the Earth follows its orbit
around the Sun, the same hemisphere that faced away from the Sun, experiencing winter, will, in half a
year, face towards the Sun and experience summer. Since the two hemispheres face opposite directions
along the planetary pole, as one polar hemisphere experiences winter, the other experiences summer.

Far left: summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere.

Front right: summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere.

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is
most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a
solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used like
Midsummer to refer to the day on which it occurs. Except in the polar regions (where daylight is
continuous for many months), the day on which the summer solstice occurs is the day of the year with
the longest period of daylight.

The summer solstice occurs in June in the Northern Hemisphere north of the Northern Tropic (23°26'N)
and in December in the Southern Hemisphere south of the Northern Tropic (23°26'S). The Sun reaches
its highest position in the sky on the day of the summer solstice.

The left diagram displays the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most
northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith. This event occurs once
per year, at the time of the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun to its
maximum extent.

The right diagram displays a graticule on a sphere or an ellipsoid. The lines from pole to pole are lines of
constant longitude, or meridians. The circles parallel to the equator are lines of constant latitude, or
parallels. The graticule determines the latitude and longitude of positions on the surface.

The winter solstice is the time at which the Sun is at its southernmost point in the sky (northernmost
point in the Southern Hemisphere) appearing at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon.[2] The
winter solstice usually occurs on December 21 to 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20
to 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

More evident from high latitudes, a hemisphere's winter solstice occurs on the shortest day and longest
night of the year, when the sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest.[4] Since the winter
solstice lasts only a moment in time, other terms are often used for the day on which it occurs, such as
"midwinter", "the longest night", "the shortest day" or ""the first day of winter". The seasonal
significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of
days.
Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
In each hemisphere, the higher the latitude, the shorter the day during winter. Between winter and
summer solstice, the day's duration increases, and the rate of increase is larger the higher the latitude. A
fast increase of day length is what allows a very short day on winter solstice at 60 degrees latitude
(either north or south) to reach about 12 hours by the spring equinox, while a slower increase is
required for a much longer day on winter solstice at 20 degrees latitude (again, either north or south) to
reach 12 hours by the spring equinox.

The summer and winter solstices mark the shortest and the longest night, respectively. The closer a
location is to either the North Pole or the South Pole, the larger the range of variation in the night's
length.

The rate of change of day duration is generally fastest at the equinoxes, although at high latitudes the
change is similar for several weeks before and after the equinoxes. The rate of change of day duration at
each solstice is zero as the change goes from positive to negative, or vice versa.

The Earth at the start of the 4 (astronomical) seasons as seen from the south and ignoring the
atmosphere (no clouds, no twilight).

Far left: winter solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. Front

right: winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere.

Interesting facts to know:

On the Equator, the duration of daylight is not exactly 12 hours all the year round, but rather — due to
atmospheric refraction and the size of the Sun — exceeds 12 hours by about 7 minutes each day;

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
Because the sun is north of the equator for almost 4 days more than half the year, the duration of the
average day at a given latitude in the northern hemisphere exceeds the duration of the average day at
the same latitude in the southern hemisphere by a few minutes;

During a few days around the equinoxes—about March 19–22 and September 21–24—both poles
experience simultaneously 24 hours of daytime, due mainly to atmospheric refraction.

Each pole has only one sunrise and one sunset per year, around the time of the equinoxes. Each pole’s
sunrise is nearly coincident with the other’s sunset, with minor differences due mainly to atmospheric
refraction.

June 21 is called the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and simultaneously the winter
solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Around December 21 the solstices are reversed and winter begins
in the northern hemisphere.

The following diagram shows the relation between the line of solstice and the line of apsides of Earth's
elliptical orbit. The orbital ellipse (with eccentricity exaggerated for effect) goes through each of the six
Earth images, which are sequentially the perihelion (periapsis—nearest point to the sun) on anywhere
from 2 January to 5 January, the point of March equinox on 20 or 21 March, the point of June solstice on
20 or 21 June, the aphelion (apoapsis—farthest point from the sun) on anywhere from 4 July to 7 July,
the September equinox on 22 or 23 September, and the December solstice on 21 or 22 December.

In astronomical reckoning, the solstices and equinoxes ought to be the middle of the respective seasons,
but, because of thermal lag, regions with a continental climate often consider these four dates to be the
start of the seasons as in the diagram, with the cross-quarter days considered seasonal midpoints. The
Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
length of these seasons is not uniform because of the elliptical orbit of the earth and its different speeds
along that orbit. From the March equinox it takes 92.75 days until the June solstice, then 93.65 days
until the September equinox, 89.85 days until the December solstice and finally 88.99 days until the
March equinox.

Seasonal weather differences between hemispheres are further caused by the elliptical orbit of Earth.
Earth reaches perihelion (the point in its orbit closest to the Sun) in January, and it reaches aphelion
(farthest point from the Sun) in July. Even though the effect this has on Earth's seasons is minor, it does
noticeably soften the northern hemisphere's winters and summers. In the southern hemisphere, the
opposite effect is observed. Seasonal weather fluctuations (changes) also depend on factors such as
proximity to oceans or other large bodies of water, currents in those oceans, El Niño/ENSO and other
oceanic cycles, and prevailing winds. Without the tilt of the earth's axis, we would have no seasons. The
sun's rays would be directly overhead of the equator all year long. Only a slight change would occur as
the earth makes its slightly elliptical orbit around the sun. The earth is furthest from the sun about July
3; this point is known as the aphelion and the earth is 94,555,000 miles away from the sun. The
perihelion takes place about January 4 when the earth is a mere 91,445,000 miles from the sun.

The seasons result from the Earth's axis being tilted to its orbital plane; it deviates by an angle of
approximately 23.5 degrees. Thus, at any given time during summer or winter, one part of the planet is
more directly exposed to the rays of the Sun (see Fig. 1 on next page). This exposure alternates as the
Earth revolves in its orbit. Therefore, at any given time, regardless of season, the northern and southern
hemispheres experience opposite seasons. The effect of axis tilt is observable from the change in day
length, and altitude of the Sun at noon (the culmination of the Sun), during a year.

What are the different types of Tides

When the sun and moon are aligned, there are exceptionally strong gravitational forces, causing very
high and very low tides which are called spring tides, though they have nothing to do with the season.
When the sun and moon are not aligned, the gravitational forces cancel each other out, and the tides

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
are not as dramatically high and low. These are called neap tides.

The word "tides" is a generic term used to define the alternating

rise and fall in sea level with respect to the land, produced by the
Fig. 1 gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun. To a much
smaller extent, tides also occur in large lakes, the atmosphere, and
This is a diagram of the seasons. Regardless of within the solid crust of the earth, acted upon by these same
the time of day (i.e. the Earth's rotation on its gravitational forces of the moon and sun.
axis), the North Pole will be dark, and the South
Pole will be illuminated; see also arctic winter. In Spring Tides
addition to the density of incident light, the
dissipation of light in the atmosphere is greater When the moon is full or new, the gravitational pull of the moon
when it falls at a shallow angle. and sun are combined. At these times, the high tides are very high
and the low tides are very low. This is known as a spring high tide.
Tides are not caused by the direct pull of the Spring tides are especially strong tides (they do not have anything
moon's gravity. The moon is pulling upwards on to do with the season Spring). They occur when the Earth, the Sun,
the water while the earth is pulling downward. and the Moon are in a line. The gravitational forces of the Moon
Slight advantage to the moon and thus we have and the Sun both contribute to the tides. Spring tides occur during
tides. Whenever the Moon, Earth and Sun are the full moon and the new moon.
aligned, the gravitational pull of the sun adds to

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
that of the moon causing maximum tides. Spring Neap Tides
tides happen when the sun and moon are on the
same side of the earth (New Moon) or when the During the moon's quarter phases the sun and moon work at right
sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth angles, causing the bulges to cancel each other. The result is a
(Full Moon). smaller difference between high and low tides and is known as a
neap tide. Neap tides are especially weak tides. They occur when
When the Moon is at first quarter or last the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun are perpendicular
quarter phase (meaning that it is located at right to one another (with respect to the Earth). Neap tides occur during
angles to the Earth-Sun line), the Sun and Moon quarter moons.
interfere with each other in producing tidal
bulges and tides are generally weaker; these are Spring tides and neap tide levels are about 20% higher or lower
called neap tides. than average. Offshore, in the deep ocean, the difference in tides
Because the earth rotates on its axis the moon is usually less than 1.6 feet
completes one orbit in our sky every 25 hours
The surf grows when it approaches a beach, and the tide increases.
(Not to be confused with moon's 27 day orbit
In bays and estuaries, this effect is amplified. (In the Bay of Fundy,
around the earth), we get two tidal peaks as well
tides have a range of 44.6 ft.)
as two tidal troughs. These events are separated
by about 12 hours. The highest tides in the Since the moon moves around the Earth, it is not always in the
world are at the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, same place at the same time each day. So, each day, the times for
Canada. high and low tides change by 50 minutes.

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light

These images shows the Earth's sunlight on the equinoxes and solstices at exactly the same time of day
(UT). The Equinoxes have equal sunlight in the northern and southern hemispheres while the solstices
have a maximum sunlight in alternate hemispheres. When summer occurs in a hemisphere, it is due to
that hemisphere receiving more direct rays of the sun than the opposite hemisphere where it is winter.
In winter, the sun's energy hits the earth at oblique angles and is thus less concentrated.

During spring and fall, the earth's axis is pointing sideways so both hemispheres have moderate weather
and the rays of the sun are directly overhead the equator. Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic
of Capricorn (23.5° latitude south) there really are no seasons as the sun is never very low in the sky so it
stays warm and humid ("tropical") year-round. Only those people in the upper latitudes north and south
of the tropics experience seasons.

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light
On June 21, there are 24 hours
of daylight north of the Arctic
Circle (66.5° north of the
equator) and 24 hours of
darkness south of the Antarctic
Circle (66.5° south of the
equator). The sun's rays are
directly overhead along the
Tropic of Cancer (the latitude
line at 23.5° north, passing
through Mexico, Saharan Africa,
and India) on June 21.

Nights are shorter than days on average due to two factors. Firstly, the sun is not a point, but has an
apparent size of about 32 arc minutes. Secondly, the atmosphere refracts sunlight so that some of it
reaches the ground when the sun is below the horizon by about 34 arc minutes. The combination of
these two factors means that light reaches the ground when the center of the sun is below the horizon
by about 50 arc minutes. Without these effects, day and night would be the same length at the
autumnal (autumn/fall) and vernal (spring) equinoxes, the moments when the sun passes over the
equator. In reality, around the equinoxes the day is almost 14 minutes longer than the night at the
equator, and even more towards the poles. Although equinoxes occur with a day and night close to
equal length, before and after an equinox the ratio of night to day changes more rapidly in high latitude
locations than in low latitude locations. An example in the Northern Hemisphere, Denmark has shorter
nights in June than India has. In the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctica has longer nights in June than
Chile has. The Northern and Southern Hemispheres of the world experience the same patterns of night
length at the same latitudes, but the cycles are 6 months apart so that one hemisphere experiences long
nights (winter) while the other is experiencing short nights (summer).

Recap: What are Lunar Tides? Tides are created because the Earth and the moon are attracted to each
other, just like magnets are attracted to each other. The moon tries to pull at anything on the Earth to
bring it closer. But, the Earth is able to hold onto everything except the water. Since the water is always
moving, the Earth cannot hold onto it, and the moon is able to pull at it. Each day, there are two high
tides and two low tides. The ocean is constantly moving from high tide to low tide, and then back to high
tide. There is about 12 hours and 25 minutes between the two high tides.

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light

30 day Calendar
“These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall
proclaim in their seasons.” Leviticus 23

Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to

him… on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of
the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. 2 Chronicles 2:4 New Moon
1st Day

2nd Day 3rd Day 4th Day 5th Day 6th Day 7th Day Sabbath
8th Day

9th Day 10th Day 11th Day 12th Day 13th Day 14th Day Sabbath
15th Day

16th Day 17th Day 18th Day 19th Day 20th Day 21st Day Sabbath
22nd Day

23rd Day 24th Day 25th Day 26th Day 27th Day 28th Day Sabbath
29th Day

30th Day

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22
God’s Calendar Created by the Greater & Lesser Light

29 day Calendar
The Farmer’s Almanac provides a lunar calendar
according to the Gregorian calendar.
Calendar-365 provides moon phases according to the
Gregorian calendar. 1st Day

2nd Day 3rd Day 4th Day 5th Day 6th Day 7th Day 8th Day

9th
Day 10th Day 11th Day 12th Day 13th Day 14th Day 15th Day

16th Day 17th Day 18th Day 19th Day 20th Day 21st Day 22nd Day

23rd Day 24th Day 25th Day 26th Day 27th Day 28th Day 29th Day

Gen. 1, Deut. 33, Ps. 72:1-9, 104, 148, Jer. 31:35-36, Lk. 21:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:41, Isa. 30:20-27, 60:18-22