Description: Interactive simulation to understand why the Moon is not always the same. We observe the relative positions of the Sun, the Earth and the Moon at the time of:
- New Moon
- Waxing Crescent
- First Quarter
- Waxing Gibbous
- Full Moon
- Waning Gibbous
- Last Quarter
- Waning Crescent
Definition
Synodic month: the synodic period of the Moon's orbit as seen from the Earth, relative to the Sun, is 29.5 mean solar days, since the Moon's phase and position relative to the Sun and Earth repeats after this period. This is longer than the sidereal period of its orbit around the Earth, which is 27.3 mean solar days, due to the motion of the Earth around the Sun.