i tought the moon had one full moon in 28 days, i looked at the moon last night and it was full . tonight i looked again and it was full again how is that so?
2007-08-29 10:57:01 · 7 answers · asked by george g 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Well, the moon is full only for a couple of hours each orbital cycle. This month's full moon (August 2007) happened during the total lunar eclipse. The night before and the night after the moon is so close to being full that it appears to be full. Now, it is possible to have two full moons in a single calender month. When the first full moon is on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd day of the month, chances are you will have a second full moon at the end of the month. The second monthly full moon is called a Blue Moon, although the moon doesn't actually turn blue, its just an expression.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
2007-08-29 11:16:57 · answer #1 · answered by ngc7331 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Normally you only have 1 full moon a month, but since the lunar schedule doesn't exactly match the calender you do have some months; usually once a year that have two full moons. When you have a second full moon in a month it is called a blue moon. So the expression "Once in a blue moon" means not very often.
According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon
"One modern blue moon definition is a result of a misinterpretation of the Maine Farmer's Almanac, where a second full moon occurs in a calendar month. The older definition of blue moon is for an extra full moon that occurs in a quarter of the year, which would normally have three full moons, but sometimes has four. "
2007-08-29 11:04:28 · answer #2 · answered by Dan S 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The moon can look "full" to us for a few days around the official full moon date. The moon changes phases one day at a time, so it can be a few days before you might notice much change in the amount of sunlit moon you see.
From full moon to full moon is close to 29 days, so in any calendar month there is usually just one official full moon, but occasionally there is a full moon at the beginning and another at the end of the calendar month (that second one in a calendar month is called a "blue moon").
2007-08-29 11:48:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you looked tonight, it was one day after full.
Keep in mind that the moon doesn't just suddenly switch from full to half to new. It's a change by degrees.
There is one full moon per month, sometimes two.
2007-08-29 11:01:21 · answer #4 · answered by Brian L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not quite 'full' as you put it, it is 'waning' now and in another day or so you will notice it as 'gibbous'
However, because it does orbit Earth roughly every 28 days, it is possible to have more then one full moon per calendar month or appears each 'moonth'
When this happens it is sometimes referred to as a 'blue moon'.
2007-08-29 11:08:03 · answer #5 · answered by Tony 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
01, in amonth of31 days
2007-08-30 02:15:48 · answer #6 · answered by widroop 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
only one!
http://metaluna.miniville.fr/
2007-08-29 12:46:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋