# Moon phases



## Northerner (Oct 1, 2018)

Superb picture


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## Lanny (Oct 1, 2018)

It's not clear on the photo but, the two Moon pictures at both ends confused me a little!

Until I remembered that a very thin crescent Moon just before & after New Moon, when no Moon is visible, is very often seen with a fainter glow of the dark phase of the Moon that we shoudn't be able to see. It's called "The New Moon in the arms of The Old Moon" & is caused by the refelection of Earth light reflected onto that dark surface of the Moon. That reflected Earth light is always there but, too faint to be seen at any other phase of the Moon as the thin crescent isn't bright enough to drown it out! It's also why the Moon never goes completely dark during the total phase of a Lunar Eclipse!


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## Robin (Oct 1, 2018)

Lanny said:


> It's called "The New Moon in the arms of The Old Moon" & is caused by the refelection of Earth light reflected onto that dark surface of the Moon


That took me back! I did the ballad Sir Patrick Spens for O level (a very long time ago) and that came into it. It was considered a bad omen!


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## C&E Guy (Oct 1, 2018)

"I'll see you on The Dark Side Of The Moon".

Trivia Fact:  Next Sunday is the anniversary (1959) of the first ever pictures of the far side of the moon.


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## mikeyB (Oct 1, 2018)

Another trivia question:

The earth rotates once every 24 hours. What is the period of rotation of the moon?


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## Robin (Oct 1, 2018)

mikeyB said:


> Another trivia question:
> 
> The earth rotates once every 24 hours. What is the period of rotation of the moon?


28 days, isn't it? The same time as it takes to orbit the earth, hence the 'man in the moon' is always facing us.


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## mikeyB (Oct 1, 2018)

Yup. You’d be amazed how many people swear it doesn’t rotate because it always faces us. Even after me demonstrating the answer. 

I bet Trump doesn’t believe it rotates, he’s thick enough


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## Hepato-pancreato (Oct 7, 2018)

The picture is the proof. Not into astronomy but I can admire great photography.


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