How often is there a full moon?

Question

Just wondering how often is a full moon? I heard that it's only once a month but I'm not so sure about that. Can a full moon happen in a row. Like a full moon one night then another the next night. Anybody know?

Answer 1

Yes, that is correct,once a month.
The phases of the moon are caused by the relative positions of the earth, sun, and moon. The moon goes around the earth, on average, in 27 days 7 hours 43 minutes.

The sun always illuminates the half of the moon facing the sun (except during lunar eclipses, when the moon passes thru the earth's shadow). When the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth, the moon appears "full" to us, a bright, round disk. When the moon is between the earth and the sun, it appears dark, a "new" moon. In between, the moon's illuminated surface appears to grow (wax) to full, then decreases (wanes) to the next new moon.

Answer 2

There is a full moon every 29.5 days. Sometimes it LOOKS full for more than one night - but it truly is only full for one night.

Every few years or so - there are TWO full moons in the same calendar month. The second of these is referred to as a "Blue Moon" (have you ever heard the expression "once in a blue moon" - "Oh, I see my cousin once in a blue moon." Or heard the song "Blue Moon"?) Anyway - the next blue moon will be this year on June 30th. We always find it to be a great excuse to throw a party!

Answer 3

It generally happens once a month (every 28 days) however, there can be two full moons in one month which is where the expression "Once in a blue moon" comes from. In 2007 there will be a "blue moon" when a full moon occurs for the second time during the month of July.

Answer 4

It is once a month, or every so many days which is close to a month. You cannot have 2 full moon nights in a row. It can sometimes look almost full though.

Answer 5

Although it takes only 27.322 days on average for the Moon to complete one orbit around the Earth (the sidereal month), as a result of the Earth's orbital motion around the Sun it requires about two additional days for the Earth, Moon and Sun to acquire the same relative geometry. So on average the number of days between two similar phases (e.g. between one full moon and the next full moon) is about 29.531 days. This period is referred to as a lunation, lunar month, or synodic month. The actual number of days in a lunation can vary from about 29.272 to 29.833 because the velocities of the Moon and of the Earth are not constant in their elliptic orbits, and because of gravitational interactions with other bodies in the solar system. [1][2]

Because the month of February has only 28 days (or 29 in a leap year), there have been a few occasions during which this month has been without a full moon. In particular, there was no full moon in February of 1866, 1885, 1915, 1934, 1961 or 1999. In these years, there were instead either two full moons in January, March, or both (as in 1999). In the leap year of 1972, there was a full moon on February 29.

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/full_moon...

Answer 6

Every lunar month, that is 4 weeks. There are a couple of nights it looks full but only one night it really is full.

Also a lunar month is the common length of a womans menstrual cycle so an awareness of the time of the month can save you from being killed for saying something undiplomatic at the wrong time of the month.

Keep an eye on the moon and stay safe.

Answer 7

Theoretically the full moon is every 28 days, but then we also take into account the new moon.So 1/4 moon .1/2 moon, 3/4 moon,Full moon.New Lunar month.( New moon).The Sun is only the Moon at Night.

Answer 8

The moon is full when it's on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun. A good description is here:

http://www.synapses.co.uk/astro/moon2.html

In short, we get a full moon every 29.5 days. It may appear very full two or three nights in a row, but thats just because you're not being observant enough.

Answer 9

every lunar month, ie every 28 days. It waxes (gets bigger) and wanes (gets smaller) In the final days of the waxing moon, it looks like a full moon, and it can be hard to tell when a full moon is reached. Tht might be why you think you have seen a full moon on several successive lights.

It shines in my window bright as day when it's full, and if I wake in the night it's so beautiful

Answer 10

The lunar cycle is 29.5 days so there is a full moon every 29.5 days. As a result of the cycle being only 29.5 days, it is possible to have more than 1 in a month, but not two days in a row.