A full moon is a primary phase of the lunar cycle that occurs when Earth is between the sun and moon in its orbit.
Meaning of a full moon
The Moon is called ‘full’ because, at that time, the Earth-facing side is fully illuminated—100% illuminated.
Rise and set time of a full moon
A full moon rises around sunset, reaches its highest point in the sky (overhead point) around midnight, and sets around sunrise.
A full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise because it is located on the opposite side of the sun relative to Earth.
Duration of a full moon
A full moon has no duration as it occurs at a specific moment in time. It is the moment when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of Earth.
A Blue Moon is a full moon
A full moon occurs once every 29.531 days, so it’s possible to fit two full moons within the same calendar month.
When two full moons occur in a calendar month, the second is called a Blue Moon. For that to happen, the first full moon must occur on the 1st or 2nd of the month, allowing the second to fall on the 30th or 31st.
Age of a full moon
A lunar cycle begins with a new moon. Now a full moon occurs about two weeks after a new moon. So a full moon is about 14 days old.
Perigean full moon is a supermoon
When a full moon occurs at or near perigee—the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit—it’s called a supermoon. A supermoon is about 7% larger and 16% brighter than an average full moon.
No lunar eclipse at every full moon
A lunar eclipse doesn’t occur at every full moon because the lunar orbit is tilted about 5° with respect to Earth’s orbit. As a result, Earth’s shadow usually passes above or below the moon.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth is precisely between the sun and moon, and Earth’s shadow falls on the moon.
The phases of the moon
The moon goes through phases as it orbits Earth. Follow the links below to understand the phases of the moon.
Please bookmark Spaceandtelescope.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get latest space news, upcoming skywatching events and astronomy-related content.
