astronomy moon phases?

Question

1) what is one complete cycle from the new moon to new moon called?

2) Why is the new moon sometimes visible?

3) explain why the moon seems to go through a cycle of phases.

4) What is the phase of the moon at the time of a lunar eclipse?

I suck at science T_T

Answer 1

1) Lunar month (about 27.3 days)

2) The new moon is ALWAYS visible - but you'll need a good telescope and a couple of filters to get it. It's visible because of the reflected light from Earth (called 'Earthshine').

3) The Moon goes through phases during the lunar month because the angles in the triangle formed by the Earth - Moon - Sun change as the moon orbits the Earth.

During 'new' Moon, the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. During 'full' Moon, the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. During the 'quarters' the Moon is to one side or the other of a straight line drawn between the Earth and the Sun.

4) During a Lunar Eclipse, the Moon MUST be full - because the Moon passing through Earth's shadow is what causes the eclipse. During a Solar Eclipse, the Moon must be 'New'.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Okay, let's try a thought experiment. Just hold the Sun still for a minute, right on the Western horizon. Put the Moon right next to it. You can't see the Moon because the Sun is farther away and all the sunlight is on the back side of the Moon. The only way you could "see" this New Moon would be if it was actually blocking the Sun.

Now, move the Moon to the middle of the sky. The Sun shines sideways on it, lighting up exactly half of it. That's First Quarter and the Moon is one quarter of the sky (and one quarter of the day, six hours) behind the Sun.

Move the Moon to the Eastern horizon, opposite the Sun. Now it's all lit up (unless you've lined everything up so well that the Earth blocks the Moon's view of the Sun). That's a Full Moon.

If you could turn the Earth transparent, you could see the Last Quarter moon below your feet, a reverse of the First Quarter. (Only the graveyard shift and early risers see the Last Quarter Moon.)

The reason the Moon goes through phases is because it goes around the Earth and we see it from different angles. (From the Moon, the Earth goes through phases too, but it doesn't move through the lunar sky.) Each day the Moon rises about 45 minutes later than the day before, losing the "race" with the Sun. The Sun laps it every 29 1/2 days. We don't have a proper name for that other than a "lunar month" or a "moon".

Answer 3

4) It will be in phase of full moon. During the eclipse the moons axis will be on same level as that earth's to the sun due this earths shadow fall upon moon and eclipse occur.

Answer 4

sophisticated matter. research in yahoo and bing. this may help!