2004

Phases of the Moon

All times shown in Universal Time (UT hh:mm:ss) Eclipses are marked with E and number for reference under Eclipses
FULL

NEW

New Moon
Month Day
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

21
20
20
19
19
17
17
16
14
14
12
12

First Quarter

Time
21:05:58
9:18:45
22:42:25
13:22:16
4:53:00
20:27:51
11:24:51
1:24:58
14:30:07
2:49:20
14:28:15
1:30:06

Month Day
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

E1

E3

Full Moon

Time

29
28
28
27
27
25
25
23
21
20
19
18

Month Day
Jan
7
Feb
6
Mar
6
Apr
5
May
4
Jun
3
Jul
2
Jul
31
Aug
30
Sep
28
Oct
28
Nov
26
Dec
26

6:04:18
3:25:06
23:48:56
17:33:32
7:58:05
19:09:02
3:38:15
10:12:54
15:54:39
21:59:45
5:51:26
16:40:41

Last Quarter

Time
15:41:14
8:47:58
23:15:21
11:03:49
20:34:31
4:20:39
11:09:59
18:06:15
2:23:20
13:10:21
3:08:27
20:08:20
15:07:24

Month Day
Jan
15
Feb
13
Mar
13
Apr
12
May
11
Jun
9
Jul
9
Aug
7
Sep
6
Oct
6
Nov
5
Dec
5

E2

E4

Time
4:46:42
13:40:38
21:01:46
3:47:07
11:05:09
20:03:26
7:34:39
22:02:18
15:11:37
10:12:54
5:54:30
0:53:48

Celestial Products, Inc. Data derived using MoonView by Celestial Products

Daily Phase Changes and Rise/Set Times

The period of time in which the moon moves through one complete change of phases represents a synodic month an average of 29.53 days. A lunation generally refers to the period between consecutive
new moons again, an average of 29.53 days. It is common to refer to the age of the moon in units of days. At about 7 days the moon has passed through one fourth of its journey in a complete lunation,
hence the ascribed name, First Quarter. About half way through the cycle, the moon reaches full. At about 22 days of age, it is three-quarters through the cycle the Last Quarter phase. Finally, the moon
comes back to new moon. In the diagram below, the various phase appearances of the moon are illustrated at their days of age as well as the names for the moons illuminated growth/phases between the
quarter phases. Just remember that waxing is synonymous with increasing and waning with receding. Also shown are mid-latitue rules of thumb for the rise and set times of the moon.
For further resources and information on the moons cycle as well as specific rise and set times see our web site: celestialproducts.com or mooncalendar.com.
Age of Moon
in Days
Moon Phase
Cycle
29.53 days

10

Rises mid-morning
Sets after sunset

20

25
Last
Quarter

FULL

Waxing Crescent
Rises with Sun
Sets with Sun

15

First
Quarter

NEW

Waxing Gibbous
Rises about noon
Sets about midnight

Rises mid-afternoon
Sets after midnight

Waning Gibbous
Rises at sunset
Sets at sunrise

Rises before midnight

Sets after sunrise

30
NEW

Waning Crescent
Rises about midnight
Sets about noon

Rises after midnight

Sets after noon

Rises with Sun

Sets with Sun

'1998-2000 Celestial Products, Inc.

Eclipses 2004
Eclipse dates are marked on the Phases
of the Moon table. Times shown in that
table are close to mid-eclipse values. (See
Universal Time for discussion on conversion
of Universal Time to other zone times.)
E1 April 19 Partial eclipse of the
Sun. Visible from south Atlantic
Ocean, South Aftica.
E2 May 4 Total eclipse of the Moon.
Visible from Africa, Asia, western
Australia
E3 October 14 (October 13 for those
in the U.S.) Partial eclipse of the
Sun. Visible from Japan, Aleutian
Islands, north Pacific Ocean.
E4 October 28 (October 27 for those
in the U.S.) Total eclipse of the
Moon. Visible from North and South
America, Africa, Europe.

Cant get out of the U.S. for a total solar

eclipse? You must wait until August 21, 2017.
For an intelligent and detailed explanation of
eclipses we can recommend no better book
than The Under-Standing of Eclipses by Guy
Ottewell. Order from Celestial Products at
800-235-3783 or visit celestialproducts.com.

Blue Moons
There are at two notable definitions for a Blue Moon that are circulating. The apparent original that has
surfaced again recently refers to the third full moon within a season (astronomical Winter, Spring, Summer,
Fall) having four full moons. Normally a season will only have three full moons, but occasionally, the lunation
cycle meshes with the season so that if there is a full moon early in the season, it is possible to get in four full
moons before the end of that season. The full moon in the last complete month of days of the season was
dubbed a Blue Moon by a New England farmers almanac in the early 1900s. Thus, February, May, August,
and November are the only months in which one could have one of these extra seasonal full moons. Using
this definition of a Blue Moon, the full moon of August 19, 2005 is the next Blue Moon since there are four
full moons in the period between June 21st and September 23rd. Remember, the Blue Moon is the full moon
of the last full month in that season. Since the seasons have beginning and ending dates partially into a calendar
month, the Blue Moon will always be the third full moon in the season of four.
Now, lets look at a more familiar definition of a Blue Moon. A free-lance writer researching the Blue Moon
name, mistakenly interpreted the original definition, previously discussed, to be the second full moon that
occasionally occurs in a calendar month. His article got by the editors of a magazine without sufficient review
and it was published back in the mid-1900s. This initiated a second Blue Moon definition that has enjoyed
an even greater adoption in the public eye - probably due to the growing readership of popular magazines and
the greater simplicity of the definition. This definition has permeated much of our western culture and gone
unchallenged for decades since few remembered the original farmers almanac definition.
Since the average lunation takes just over 29.5 days, it is possible to have two full moons within the 30
or 31 day calendar months as long as the first full moon occurs within the first day(s) of the month. One can
find one of these Blue Moon months roughly every 2+ years, but this average is hardly a rule that can be used
to predict future occurrences. This is due to the varying number of days in each calendar month, leap year,
and the variance from the 29.5 day average lunation period. Under this Blue Moon definition, a Blue Moon
occurs July 31, 2004 since there will be a full moon earlier in the month on July 2.
The name Blue Moon may otherwise apply to the rare occurrence of seeing a blue colored Moon as a result
the moonlight being filtered through atmospheric particles that scatter more of the yellow-red wavelengths than
the green-blue wavelengths.

Hunting for Blue Moons? Our charts 20th and 21st Century Luna provide all the daily phases for
each century. Contact Celestial Products for a local supplier or request our catalog of science/astronomy
publications.

Equinoxes and Solstices 2004

Month
Mar
Jun
Sep
Dec

Day
20
21
22
21

Time (UT)
6:49:42
0:57:57
16:30:54
12:42:40

Event
Spring Equinox
Summer Solstice
Autumnal Equinox
Winter Solstice

Celestial Products
P.O. Box 801
Middleburg, VA 20118

Orders: 800-235-3783
540-338-4040 Fax: 540-338-4042
www.celestialproducts.com
www.mooncalendar.com
www.ilovethemoon.com

Waxing Crescent

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Apogee and Perigee

Lunation Cycle

NEW

While Earthcentered diagrams

show the Moons
path to be a
closed orbit
around the Earth
(see Apogee and
Perigee diagram),
its actual path in
space, relative
to the Sun, is an
open curve. (See
related Moon orbit
note below.*)

Earth
Moon
Earth
Moon

NEW
MOO
N

FQ

Waxing Gibbous

8
9
10
11
12
13

FIRST
QUARTER

Precession Period = 8 yr. 10 mo.

FULL

18
19
20

Waning Crescent

LQ

23
24
25
26
27

Barycenter

t
Nigh

Earth

2004
LAST
QUARTER

1994
Celestial
Products

Moons Path

mO
Earth

Age of
moon
in days

Viewed from above their

northern hemispheres, the
Earth and Moon are highly
exaggerated in size for this
portion of the diagram.

Jan
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Nov
Dec

Day

te
Sys

NEW

Apogee

NEW
N
MOO

on
-Mo

29

Apogee
Average distance
253,400 miles
from Earth

Perigee
Average distance
227,200 miles
from Earth

rbit

28

*Even this diagram

distorts the true
nature of the
Moons orbit.
Instead of the
snake-like path
shown for
illustration
purposes, the
actual path relative
to the Sun always
remains concave.

Moon
Slower

Moon
Faster

diameter and the

Earth is 0.00136
inch in diameter.
The 239,000
mile distance
between the
Earth and Moon
scales to 0.04
inch inside the
circles.

21
22

MOON

In the strip
circles to the
left, the Earth
and Moon are
drawn to the
diagrams scale
of 16"= 93
million miles (the
distance from
the Earth to the
Sun). They are
nearly invisible
to the eye. The
moon is a mere
0.00037 inch in

Waning Gibbous

17

Barycenter

FULL

15
16

The additional increase in lunar gravitational

force on the Earth at perigee can lead to higher high
tides (and lower low tides) than would normally
occur. Couple this increased lunar gravitational
component with the Suns gravitational force at a
time when both the Moon and Sun are aligned with
the Earth (New or Full Moon) and you have the
ingredients for higher than normal tidestides that
are dreaded for their potential shore damage when
a storm is present.
As a further complication to the Moons orbit,
the elliptical figure itself turns (precesses) forward
relative to the background stars, taking almost 9
years to complete one circuit.

Barycenter
14

Like most orbits, the path of the Moon around

the Earth is an ellipse with a closest approach,
perigee, and farthest point called apogee. (More
accurately stated, this path is an ellipse with a focus
on the barycenter. See note on the barycenter in
diagram at left.) It is possible to visually detect the
Moons larger apparent size at perigee to that at
apogee in comparison photographs. Try it using a
medium focal length telephoto lens.

It is the center of mass, the barycenter, for the

Earth-Moon two-body system that orbits on an
elliptical path around the Sun. The barycenter is
inside the Earth, about 2,900 miles from its center
(1,050 miles below the surface), so the Earth
wobbles along the orbit with an oscillation period
equal to the lunation cycle (average 29.53 days).

3
31
28
27
24
21
17
14
11
8
5
2
30
27

Perigee
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

19
16
12
8
6
3
1
30
27
22
17
14
12

See the Astronomical Calendar for more

specific details and diagrams. Further discussions
on the particulars of the Moons orbit are found in
the Astronomical Companion. Call Celestial Products for catalog of these publications or visit our
web site www.celestialproducts.com.

Full Moon Names

Universal Time

The following names for full Moons come to us from

American Indian and folklore sources. For commentary
regarding these names, consult the Astronomical Calendar
available from Celestial Products catalog.

All our publication event times are reported in Universal Time (UT). This is simply
understood as the local time on the prime meridian (0 degrees longitude) which passes
through Greenwich, England, hence the familiarity you may have with Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT). Universal Time uses a 24 hour period with 0 hours representing midnight;
12:00 is noontime; 14:00 is 2 pm; 18:00 is 6 pm, and so forth.

January ......... Moon After Yule, Old Moon

February ........ Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Wolf Moon
March ............ Sap Moon, Crow Moon, Lenten Moon
April ............... Grass Moon, Egg Moon
May ............... Planting Moon, Milk Moon
June .............. Rose Moon, Flower Moon, Strawberry Moon
July ................ Thunder Moon, Hay Moon
August ........... Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon
September ..... Fruit Moon, Harvest Moon*
October ......... Hunters Moon
November ...... Frosty Moon, Beaver Moon
December ...... Moon Before Yule, Long Night Moon
*The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is often
called the Harvest Moon. For some, the Harvest Moon is that
which occurs on or after the autumnal equinox. In either case,
this means that the October full moon may end up being the
Harvest Moon.

Time

0:47:58
Date
Fri., Feb. 6

Pacific
-8

To convert Universal Time

to your zone time (e.g., Eastern
Standard Time), subtract an hour
Example of Time and Date Conversions
for each time zone west of
The Full Moon of February 6, 2004 happens
for every location at 8:47:58 Universal Time (UT) Greenwich needed. (Add an hour
for each zone east of Greenwich).
Converted zone times are based on 24 hour clock and
standard times. (No daylight savings increment in effect.)
Examples are shown in the Time
Conversion Example diagram
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
1:47:58
2:47:58
3:47:58
8:47:58
9:47:58
at left. Note that when the
Date
Date
Date
Date
Date
Fri., Feb. 6
Fri., Feb. 6
Fri., Feb. 6
Fri., Feb. 6
Fri., Feb. 6
subtraction results in a value less
than 0, the date reverts to the
Mountain
Central
Eastern
Greenwich Mean Central European
-7
-6
-5
0
+1
previous day and the hour value
is adjusted by adding 24 hours
to the negative value.

MoonWatcher 2004 is copyright 2003 with All Rights Reserved by Celestial

Products, Inc., P.O. Box 801, Middleburg, Virginia 20118. Phone 540-338-4040
(orders 800-235-3783). No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form without
prior permission from the publisher. Additional copies of MoonWatcher are available
from Celestial Products in packs of 50 for $10.00 ppd.(that's typically less than using
a copier) to locations in the U.S. ($14.00 to Canada).

800-235-3783

Time

16:47:58
Date
Fri., Feb. 6

www.celestialproducts.com
Western Australia
+8

www.mooncalendar.com
www.ilovethemoon.com