Lunar Phases by Michael Oates

Now that I have an easy way of taking images of the Moon, with my Sony Mavica FD91 digital camera. I have set my self a task of taking images of the Moon on each day of a Lunar cycle (from New Moon to the next New Moon). Due to the weather this will not be done within any one cycle, but spread over many. There is also the problem of imaging the Moon 1 day either side of New Moon, this is because the Moon is always close to the Sun in this period, and has to be observed in daylight. But as time goes on I hope to fill in the missing days.

It takes 27.32166 days to complete one orbit. It also rotates on its axis in 27.32166 days, so it always keeps the same face pointing toward earth. A complete cycle from one new Moon to the next takes 29.530589 days or one synodic month to complete.

Note: Finally after 1.5 years I have managed to image the last quarter, this now completes the images as far as I am ever likely to go.

The Moon through one lunar cycle

New Moon	Day 1	11th Oct 99 17:53UT Day 2 6h 17m	19th April 99 20:32UT Day 3 16h 9m	19th May 99 21:25UT Day 4 9h 41m
20th May 99 21:51UT Day 5 9h 45m	22nd April 99 20:57UT Day 6 16h 34m	24th March 99 22:23UT Day 7 3h 34m 1st Qtr	24th April 99 22:11UT Day 8 17h 48m	26th March 99 19:22UT Day 9 0h 33m
March 27th 99 19:40UT Day 10 0h 51m	April 27th 99 19:56UT Day 11 15h 33m	March 29th 99 19:00UT Day 12 0h 11m	March 30th 99 19:32UT Day 13 0h 43m	March 31st 99 21:49UT Day 14 3h 0m Full Moon
April 1st 99 22:10UT Day 15 3h 21m	April 2nd 99 23:24UT Day 16 4h 35m	April 3rd 99 22:36UT Day 17 3h 47m	April 5th 99 01:56UT Day 18 7h 7m	Aug 1st 99 23:42UT Day 19 21h 17m
May 7th 99 02:37UT Day 20 22h 14m	May 7th 99 04:23UT Day 21 0h 0m	Sept 21st 2000 05:00UT Day 22 3h 32m Last Qtr	Aug 6th 99 00:44UT Day -5 10h 26m	June 9th 99 02:47UT Day -4 16h 17m
Sept 6th 99 03:07UT Day -3 18h 56m	Dec 5th 99 05:53UT Day -2 16h 50m	Sept 8th 99 05:08UT Day -1 16h 55m

The same images but this time rotated with Celestial North at the top

New Moon	Day 1	11th Oct 99 17:53UT Day 2 6h 17m	19th April 99 20:32UT Day 3 16h 9m	19th May 99 21:25UT Day 4 9h 41m
20th May 99 21:51UT Day 5 9h 45m	22nd April 99 20:57UT Day 6 16h 34m	24th March 99 22:23UT Day 7 3h 34m 1st Qtr	24th April 99 22:11UT Day 8 17h 48m	26th March 99 19:22UT Day 9 0h 33m
March 27th 99 19:40UT Day 10 0h 51m	April 27th 99 19:56UT Day 11 15h 33m	March 29th 99 19:00UT Day 12 0h 11m	March 30th 99 19:32UT Day 13 0h 43m	March 31st 99 21:49UT Day 14 3h 0m Full Moon
April 1st 99 22:10UT Day 15 3h 21m	April 2nd 99 23:24UT Day 16 4h 35m	April 3rd 99 22:36UT Day 17 3h 47m	April 5th 99 01:56UT Day 18 7h 7m	Aug 1st 99 23:42UT Day 19 21h 17m
May 7th 99 02:37UT Day 20 22h 14m	May 7th 99 04:23UT Day 21 0h 0m	Sept 21st 2000 05:00UT Day 22 3h 32m Last Qtr	Aug 6th 99 00:44UT Day -5 10h 26m	June 9th 99 02:47UT Day -4 16h 17m
Sept 6th 99 03:07UT Day -3 18h 56m	Dec 5th 99 05:53UT Day -2 16h 50m	Sept 8th 99 05:08UT Day -1 16h 55m

Notes:

Day n = any time from the start of day n till day n + 23h 59m. Until day 22 which is longer than 24hrs then it counts down to new Moon.

Images marked with are either not very good quality, probably due to cloud, taken in daylight, or were taken near to the next day, and I will try to obtain better images, preferably during the night, and if possible also closer to day n.

Some Lunar Links

For daily images of the Sun also taken with the same camera, see my Solar Page

Maintained by Michael Oates
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Last modified August 10, 2008