What is the time it takes the moon to go through all of its stages?

Answer 1

The phases of the moon depend on the relative positions of the earth, moon and sun. The moon orbits around the earth once every 27.3 days. Since this causes the relative positions of the three bodies to be changing over the course of a month, the phase of the moon changes. Think about the fact that the earth is rotating on its axis quite a bit faster than the moon is orbiting around earth. The portion of the moon that is lit by the sun changes over the course of a month, because what we interpret as a month is really a "moon day". We are watching the progression of sunlight as it moves across the face of the moon, one full cycle each month.

Answer 2

BECAUSE OF the lunar phases because from earth, the moons appearance changes as the moon revolves around earth , the portion of the moon that reflects sunlight back to earth changes, causing the moon's appearance to change . these changes are called lunar phases.

Answer 3

it means the moon goes through phases in which it is shadowed by the earth, and illuminated by the sun at different portions every day of the year making it full, half, crescent, Waning, or Waxing.

Answer 4

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Moon is that its phases are caused by the Earth's shadow. The Earth's shadow causes eclipses, but it has nothing to do with phases. Rather, the phases of the Moon are produced by the alignment of the Moon and the Sun in the sky.

The orientation of Sun and Moon determines the phase of the Moon. At new moon, the angular distance of the Sun and Moon is small, less than a few degrees. At first quarter, when the moon is half full, the Moon lies 90 degrees east of the Sun. As an example, if you were to point to the setting sun with one arm and to the Moon with the other, the angle between your arms would be 90 degrees. At full, the moon is 180 degrees from the sun (and consequently rises shortly after sunset). At last quarter, it is 90 degrees west of the Sun.

The "new moon" is essentially invisible because it is between the Earth and Sun and therefore lost in the glare of the sun. Even on day 2 or 3, it is tough to spot the moon because it is just the tiniest sliver and still very close to the sun. The waxing crescent moon grows till it is about half full in the phase we call first quarter. From there it grows to full moon and then begins to shrink back to third quarter, waning crescent and finally back to new moon.

The first and last quarter moons mark the halfway points between the new moon and full moon. The first quarter moon is illuminated on the right hand side. The last quarter moon is illuminated on the left hand side. It seems conflicting to call a half full moon first and last quarter, but the quarter refers to the position of the moon in the sky, not it's phase. A quarter moon is one quarter of a full circle (90 degrees) away from the sun.

The lighted part of the Moon always points the way to the Sun. This means that a waxing crescent moon in the western sky at sunset has the lighted part on the right (west) which is the direction of the Sun. The sequence of the lunar phases always proceeds with the lighted part of the Moon growing from right to left until the moon reaches full. After full moon, the light recedes from right to left until new moon.

Answer 5

correction, The moon has 4 main phases, new, quarter, full, and third quarter moon's. You may think using "common sense" that what the other answer was correct, but it was not. Since the sun only faces one side of the moon, only one side of the moon is lit up. That side faces the sun. On earth people see a new moon as a dark moon because the half that is lit faces the sun and away from the earth making a moonless sky. The Quarter moon is when the moon is at a 90 degree angle from the sun. This is seen from the earth as a one-half moon; you are only seeing a quarter of the spherical surface of the moon, thus getting the name Quarter moon. Then the full moon. A full moon occurs when the moon is behind the earth, when we see the full lighted face of the moon. You might think the earth's shadow will cover the moon, but the moons orbit around earth is off axis from the earths orbit around the sun, about a 5 degree slant. This 5 degree slant lets the light hit the moon without being blocked by the earth. Third Quarter is the same as I already explained for Quarter, only on the other side of earth.


Hoped this helped.

Answer 6

Okay, it says that it "appears to go through phases" because we know that the moon has no light of its own, but it reflects the light of the sun.

But since the earth revolves and rotates and so does the moon (revolve around earth and slightly rotate), the moon looks as though it is going through "phases"-- different sizes of crescents. But actually, it's the side that the sun shines facing earth that is playing tricks. As the moon revolves Earth, Earth can only see the part that is facing Earth and is illuminated.

Answer 7

The moon has different phases because the Sun only reflects off of certain parts of the moon each night.

Answer 8

The moon takes one lunar month (about 28 days) to go through all its phases.

Answer 9

The moon goes throughout phases because of the relative positions in the moon, Earth, and the sun.

Answer 10

about 29.5 days; close to a month.