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BlessedBeMe.com |  |
Moon Phases, Their Descriptions & Their Names:
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Waxing Crescent Moon - As the Moon moves around the Earth, we get to see more and more of the illuminated half, and we say the Moon is waxing. At first we get a sliver of it, which grows as days go by. This phase is called the crescent moon. |
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Quarter Moon - A week after the new moon, when the Moon has completed about a quarter of its turn around the Earth, we can see half of the illuminated part; that is, a quarter of the Moon. This is the first quarter phase. Also called 1st quarter Moon. |
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Waxing Gibbous Moon - During the next week, we keep seeing more and more of the illuminated part of the Moon, and it is now called waxing gibbous (gibbous means "humped"). |
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Full Moon - Two weeks after the new moon, the moon is now halfway through its revolution, and now the illuminated half coincides with the one facing the Earth, so that we can see a full disk: we have a full moon. As mentioned above, at this time the Moon rises at the time the Sun sets, and it sets when the Sun rises. If the Moon happens to align exactly with the Earth and Sun, then we get a lunar eclipse. |
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Waning Gibbous Moon - From now on, until it becomes new again, the illuminated part of the Moon that we can see decreases, and we say it's waning. The first week after full, it is called waning gibbous. |
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Last Quarter Moon - Three weeks after new, we again can see half of the illuminated part. This is usually called last quarter. Also called 3rd quarter Moon. |
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Waning Crescent Moon - Finally, during the fourth week, the Moon is reduced. |
January - Wolf Moon February - Snow Moon or Storm Moon
March - Worm Moon April - Pink Moon or Seed Moon
May - Flower Moon or Hare Moon June - Strawberry Moon or Dyad Moon
July - Buck Moon or Mead Moon August - Sturgeon Moon
September - Harvest Moon October - Hunter's Moon or Blood Moon
November - Beaver Moon or Snow Moon December - Cold Moon or Oak Moon
Blue Moon - When 2 full moons occur in a lunar month the 2nd full moon is called a Blue Moon
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2009 Moon Phase Dates:
December 2nd - FullDecember 8th - 3rd Quarter
December 16th - New
December 24th - 1st Quarter
December 31st - Full (Blue Moon)
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2010 Moon Phase Dates:
| January | February |
| 3rd Quarter - Jan. 7th
New Moon - Jan. 15th 1st Quarter - Jan. 23rd Full Moon - Jan. 30th |
3rd Quarter - Feb. 5th
New Moon - Feb. 14th 1st Quarter - Feb. 22nd Full Moon - Feb. 28th |
| March | April |
| 3rd Quarter - Mar. 7th
New Moon - Mar. 15th 1st Quarter - Mar. 23rd Full Moon - Mar. 30th |
3rd Quarter - Apr. 6th
New Moon - Apr. 14th 1st Quarter - Apr. 21st Full Moon - Apr. 28th |
| May | June |
| 3rd Quarter - May 6th
New Moon - May 14th 1st Quarter - May 20th Full Moon - May 27th |
3rd Quarter - Jume 4th
New Moon - June 12th 1st Quarter - June 19th Full Moon - June 26th |
| July | August |
| 3rd Quarter - July 4th
New Moon - July 11th 1st Quarter - July 18th Full Moon - July 26th |
3rd Quarter - Aug. 3rd
New Moon - Aug. 10th 1st Quarter - Aug. 16th Full Moon - Aug. 24th |
| September | October |
| 3rd Quarter - Sept. 1st
New Moon - Sept. 8th 1st Quarter - Sept. 15th Full Moon - Sept. 23rd |
3rd Quarter - Oct. 1st
New Moon - Oct. 7th 1st Quarter - Oct. 14th Full Moon - Oct. 23rd 3rd Quarter - Oct. 30th |
| November | December |
| New Moon - Nov. 6th
1st Quarter - Nov. 13th Full Moon - Nov. 21st 3rd Quarter - Nov. 28th |
New Moon - Dec. 5th
1st Quarter - Dec. 13th Full Moon - Dec. 21st 3rd Quarter - Dec. 28th |
