What Is A Nearly Full Moon?

When the moon appears perfectly round in the sky, it is known as a “full moon,” indicating
that the disc of the moon is full or complete. Full moons happen on average every 29 days, and
advances in astronmy  have allowed scientists to carefully predict their patterns. Numerous
traditions and superstitions are associated with the full
moon in almost every culture on Earth, especially when the moon becomes
eclipsed, as will happen now and then.

The appearance of a full
moon is caused by the orbit of the moon around the Earth, and through the
Earth's orbit around the sun. As the moon moves behind the Earth, so that the
Earth is between it and the sun, more and more of the moon will appear
illuminated in a cycle called “waxing.” When the
moon is all the way behind the Earth, the sun's light will completely
illuminate the visible side of the moon, making it look like a large white disc in the sky. As the moon moves around
to the front of the Earth again, the visible disc shrinks, in a process referred to as waning, until the moon appears
totally dark because the illuminated portion faces away from Earth.

Although the moon generally takes a little
over 27 days to completely orbit the Earth, it takes another few days for the
Earth, moon, and sun to be in the proper alignment to create a full moon. As a result, the lunar cycle takes around 29 days in
total. Since the lunar cycle is such a present
and obvious part of life, it lent its name to the word “month,” which is
derived from “moon.”

Occasionally, two full moons will appear in
the same calendar month. This is known as a blue moons” and it
is quite rare. Some people consider blue moons to be
highly auspicious, because of their rarity. More rarely, the month of February
will have no full moon, since it is usually only
28 days long. When this happens, January or March will be marked with a blue moon. The full
moon is also periodically eclipsed, thanks to its position behind the Earth.
When the three planetary bodies reach the perfect alignment, the Earth's shadow
will cover the moon partially or totally.

The appearance of the moon from Earth is referred to as a “lunar phase,” reflecting the cyclical nature of the
moon's appearance. Many cultures have historically tracked lunar phases  and
associated certain superstitions and beliefs to them. The new moon, for
example, is often linked with crime and questionable activity, since the night
is dark, allowing people to participate in activities without detection. The full moon, on the other hand, has been associated with
insanity, although studies have suggested that the full
moon does not have influence on human or animal behavior.