Due to the change in the position of the Earth and the Sun in relation to each other, in different periods the Moon is illuminated by the Sun in a certain way. The different states of illumination of the moon are called its phases. Knowing which of the 8 phases the moon is in at a certain point in time can be useful for planning various events in your life: cosmetic procedures, surgeries, diets and much more.
Instructions
Step 1
Open the regular loose-leaf calendar page corresponding to the day you need. In addition to information about the phase in which the moon is located, in this calendar you can see data on the times of rising and setting of the moon and the sun. You can also see information about the phases of the moon and its position in the zodiacal constellations in the lunar calendar. Find Internet sites of the relevant subject, which host lunar calendars and you can calculate the phases of the moon by entering the desired date. In addition, you can also find out the percentage of the moon's visibility, its age and distance to it.
Step 2
Use a special mnemonic rule to determine the phases of the moon. The aging month (the last quarter from full moon to new moon) is similar to the letter "C". The growing month (the first quarter from the new moon to the full moon) is turned in the other direction. If you mentally put a stick to it, you get the letter "P". The aging month can usually be observed in the morning, and the growing month in the evening. In the southern hemisphere, the order of changing the phases of the moon is reversed. The mnemonic rule will not help you determine the phase of the moon only near the equator, where the month is always seen "lying on its side."
Step 3
Remember the appearance of the moon, which it has in each of the eight phases. In the growing month phase, the Sun illuminates only a small part of the Moon on the right side. In the first quarter, half of the moon is already visible. The waxing moon seems a little convex. The full moon is visible in its entirety. The waning moon, like the waxing one, is slightly convex and its entire left side is illuminated. In the last quarter, we can observe, respectively, a quarter of the moon, which is convex to the left. In the final phase (waning month), the Moon, illuminated by the Sun on the left, looks like a small crescent.
