Oscar De La Huerte answered
There's nothing more spectacular than a night sky lit up by a romantic full moon.
We are treated to this view 12 times a year, or roughly every 27-29 days.
How often does a full moon happen?
A full moon occurs when the moon is located in a position on the direct opposite side of the earth from the sun.
For many people, the time when the moon is actually full each month occurs during their day-time.
How many full moons do we see each year?
We see 12 full moons each year - and the reason for this has to do with how long it takes moon to orbit the earth, and how long it takes for the earth to spin on its axis.
For the scientifically-minded, this might seem like a fairly straightforward concept, whilst to others it can be a little mind-boggling.
Scientists have worked out that the average amount of time it takes for us to experience a lunar phase is 29.53 days.
For this reason, cultures that use the lunar calendar have months that last between 29 and 30 days. In this way, a full moon will always fall on the 14th or 15th of the month.
We are treated to this view 12 times a year, or roughly every 27-29 days.
How often does a full moon happen?
A full moon occurs when the moon is located in a position on the direct opposite side of the earth from the sun.
How often we actually see a full moon depends on two things:
- The moon's journey around the earth
- The sun's light hitting the moon at an angle that makes it fully visible to our eyes
One popular misconception is that a 'full moon event' occurs throughout an entire night. This is not actually true.
Changes in the moon's size are happening at a very gradual rate (too gradual for the human eye to notice), and where you are on earth will have an impact on when the moon actually appears full in your geographic location.For many people, the time when the moon is actually full each month occurs during their day-time.
How many full moons do we see each year?
We see 12 full moons each year - and the reason for this has to do with how long it takes moon to orbit the earth, and how long it takes for the earth to spin on its axis.
For the scientifically-minded, this might seem like a fairly straightforward concept, whilst to others it can be a little mind-boggling.
Scientists have worked out that the average amount of time it takes for us to experience a lunar phase is 29.53 days.
For this reason, cultures that use the lunar calendar have months that last between 29 and 30 days. In this way, a full moon will always fall on the 14th or 15th of the month.
